Toh Shin Den: To Challenge Fate
by Athena Asamiya
Summary: When an ancient legend takes hold in 1994, five tournament fighters find themselves caught up in a battle between light and darkness and a desperate struggle to save the world... Based off of Toshinden 1.
1. Prologue: Prelude

  
_Author's Notes_ (2002.04.22)

  
I didn't think this old, crappy fanfic of mine would ever show up here. But look, here it is. ^^;;; 

Anyway, I'm just putting up this preface note to say that for one, I wrote this fic (actually co-wrote with my sister) when I was fifteen. This first part was originally written in 1998. It was the first fanfic I had ever written. So be kind. ^^;;; My style has improved by noticeable leaps and bounds in the last four years. Truth to be told, I was leery about putting this fic - let alone this fic series - up for that very reason: that it's not that great an example of my writing and I know it. But for some reason, it's been and become oddly popular in the past four years, and so I figured what the hell. XD 

Against all temptation, I have left every single one of these chapters in its original state. As much as I would absolutely love to take out all the meaningless crappy Japanese and fix any inconsistencies, I decided not to. It would kind of take away from the authenticity of it all, plus it would have been a hell of a lot of work for me that probably would have resulted in the complete revamping of many of the chapters. XD No thanks. So here are all the original chapters, FF.net-ized for your enjoyment. (Oh, and here's my sister's profile, to give her the proper credit --> http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=116573) 

All chapters of this fic are rated PG-13, for occasional violence and harsh language. No yaoi here, people. XD This, if you can believe it, came from my pre-yaoi stage. And yes, I did take quite a bit of, er, artistic license with some parts of it...Tracy isn't in the first Toshinden game, but we wanted a larger cast for the story. Ehh. 

This is just the first part - twelve chapters and an epilogue - of a Toshinden fanfiction trilogy that ended up becoming something of a epic, as well as garnering just a few more fans than I would have expected. ^^;;; By popular demand, here it is. So now, to all those who have already entered and to those who have yet to....welcome to the battle arena. XD 

~ _Athena Asamiya_ (nee Empress Katzy of Toshinden)

* 

**- The Toshinden Fanfiction Trilogy -**

_ Toh Shin Den: To Challenge Fate  
Toh Shin Den II: Thicker Than Water  
Toh Shin Den III: Walking Into Ruin_

**- Successors to a Legacy -**

_ Toh Shin Den IV: Legends Never Die - The Pleiades Chapter_

  
  
Original Home: Athena Asamiya & Kasumi Todoh's Battle Arena Toshinden Fanfictions  
    http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Harbor/2472/tsdfic_contents.html  
Year of Original Publication: 1998 

  
  


* * *

** Part 1: **

- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate - 

A Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction written by Kasumi Todoh and Athena Asamiya 

  
"To see my father again, I will challenge fate." -- Ellis, _Toshinden Remix_

  
**Prologue: Prelude**

  
_     Once a year, a weaponry tournament known as the Toshindaibukai is held, and only the eight strongest and most skilled fighters in the world are invited to attend. So when Eiji Shinjo, a young Japanese adventurer, and his best friend Kayin Amoh, a Scottish bounty hunter, arrive, it seems just like a normal tourney. Or is it?     However, in the place that they have entered, it's best to know nothing, and Eiji & Kayin both end up finding out too much. The two are attacked one night soon after the tournament begins, and discover the true, evil, meaning for the tournament's existence. They end up caught and struggling in dangerous web of lies and violence, quickly finding that they may end up either enslaved or dead. With nowhere to turn and no hope of escaping alive, Eiji & Kayin must team up with the teenage gypsy girl named Ellis, with a little help from the leather-clad whip-wielder named Sofia and the bad-ass girl cop with the attitude named Tracy, if they have any hope of surviving. Always overshadowed by a scheming organization that wishes to use the warriors for their own dark plans, and unknowingly watched by a pair of mysterious, shadowed figures who are either their friends or enemies, the rebellious group of fighters find that they will have to face their fellow opponents, disagreements, tribulations, spies, assassins, their equally haunting pasts, and one unexpected case of a sibling rivalry turned deadly, in a desperate race against time before they can finally stop the Himitsu Kessha from ultimately taking control of the world. And even then, it may be too late.     What starts out as a harmless tournament quickly turns into a malevolent battle waged between the forces of light and darkness, with the fate of millions and the sanctity of the entire world resting on the doubtful shoulders of five very unlikely heroes. 

  


* * *

  
  


_


	2. Chapter One: Beginnings

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER ONE: Beginnings**   
  
**Translations:** _    saa
_ - now _    soredemo
_ - but still _    oniisan
_ - elder brother (often shortened to niisan) _    Toshindaibukai
_ - Grand Martial Arts Tournament of the Fighting God (Toshinden formal name) _    Byakko no Tachi
_ - White Tiger Sword (name for Eiji's sword) _    gomenasai, gomen
_ - I'm sorry _    ikimasu
_ - let's go

  


***************

  
_ Eight travelling fighters brought together by a common destiny,  
now meet at the Battle Arena Toshinden!  
Many years have passed since this tournament,  
known only to those in the underworld,  
was last held.  
Some fighters have come for personal glory.  
Others have come to fight for those they love.  
But all will do their best to gain a victory  
in this tournament which will decide their fortunes...  
_   
  
***************

  
    Tokyo International Airport in the bustling heart of Tokyo, Japan. Flight 702 from Europe to Japan has just arrived at gate 9. Amidst the flow of eager passengers that streams off the large jet is a handsome young man. He walks slowly, concentrating on something other than the bustling airport terminal. He brushes his spiky auburn hair out of his face as he studies the flight schedule with deep red-gold eyes. He double-checks the hilt at his side, and smiles at himself for being so paranoid as to think that someone would actually try to steal his beloved sword. Looked like no one would even go near it, let alone touch it, considering the fact that people were swerving around him as he thought. He turned back to the flight schedule and runs a gloved finger down the list.     "Saa, let's see," Eiji Shinjo muttered to himself, intensely searching the guide, "Kayin-chan's flight should be landing at gate 12 right about now."     Eiji grinned in spite of himself, as he was looking forward to seeing his best friend, Kayin Amoh, again. _But then again_, he thought, _I'm not here for reunions. It's my destiny, as it always has been. The red string...maybe there is some truth to that belief. Soredemo, it's good to be back in Tokyo. That, and being able to talk in a language and actually knowing what I'm saying._     Eiji let his mind wander back to how it all began, a long time ago. Though Eiji was only twenty-one years old, only a little more than a teenager, what years of his life he had lived were indeed fateful. His parents had died when he was very young, leaving him alone with his older and only brother, his oniisan, Sho. Eiji grew up in awe of his niisan, and aspired to be just like him. Of course, that was hard, considering the Shinjo clan's treasured sword, the Byakko no Tachi, the White Tiger Sword, was passed on to the eldest son in the family. Sho had received the sword, and quickly became a mighty and skilled warrior, feared and revered by all. Sho had planned to represent the Shinjo clan in the Toshindaibukai, the Toshinden weaponry tournament. And yet, one day, when Eiji was fifteen, Sho received a letter that Eiji never knew about. All that he knew was that later, Sho announced that he would train Eiji in swordplay, for reasons he would not tell his little brother. Eiji, of course, had been thrilled. Until Sho had announced that he was taking in another student.     His name was Kayin Amoh, a sixteen-year-old from a Scottish highlander clan, another inheritant of a family sword.     At first meeting, it was instant dislike for Eiji and Kayin. Being complete opposites and all, Eiji thought Kayin was a stuck-up brash overconfident jerk. Kayin, on the other hand, though Eiji was an incompetant annoying suck-up kid. But, as time passed, they became friends, and enjoyed training together under Sho's tutelage. As a result, they were taught the same technique, and, though they were indeed quite different in personality, they were trained to always fight together. Their skills were quite equal, and their swordsmanship remarkable. Even Sho himself was impressed at the pair's grasp of swordplay, especially for ones so young, so fast. The skills of their bloodlines showed through.     Finally, the time came when Kayin returned to Scotland, when he was nineteen and Eiji was eighteen. It made no sense to either of them why Sho had trained them so quickly, but Eiji's niisan would not say. Shortly after Kayin left, Eiji returned home to his village in Japan, Aizu, and found Sho gone. All that was left was the Shinjo family sword, the White Tiger Sword, the Byakko no Tachi.     Also, an invitation to the Toshindaibukai, in his brother's name.     And a note.     The note, simply, read this, in Japanese: 

    Eiji,     Don't follow me. It won't work. You will not find me. Wait for me to find you. You keep the sword, and you're on your own now. I know you will be all right, if you remember what I've taught you.     Go in search of your destiny. I'm close to mine. You must find yours. Even though it may come to you instead.     Until next time... 

    Eiji was greatly saddened by this turn of events, for now he truly was alone. Even though he wanted to go after his niisan, the note specifically said not to. But after a while of thinking, Eiji decided that this would not be a waste, but a chance to learn more about his destiny, like Sho had said in the letter. Would he always be just the little brother of the great Sho Shinjo? Or would he have his own fate, to be a hero, a warrior, a legend? And so, Eiji decided that he would become an adventurer, travelling the world, testing and training his skills against other fighters, and ultimately, finding his lost brother, his hero.     After scouring the world for his niisan, Eiji came up luckless. Though he did have some interesting conflicts with other fighters along the way, Eiji returned home to Aizu to find two pieces of mail waiting for him. One was a letter from Kayin, bearing sad news: Kayin's father had gone to the great tournament, the Toshindaibukai, and lost. As a result, he had been killed in battle by the now-crowned champion of the Toshin tournament. Who this fighter was, it was not known by Kayin. All that he knew was that he would find his father's killer and have his revenge. Eiji's head had spun. The Toshindaibukai. That was the name of the tournament Sho had gone to! Had he...no. It couldn't have been. Eiji had brushed that thought from his mind without a second glance. The other letter had been an invitation.     To the Toshindaibukai.     In his name this time.     Eiji remembered scanning Kayin's letter quickly, and sure enough, he had added on a note saying that he had received an invitation to the great weaponry tournament. The same one Kayin's father had died at, the same one Sho had gone to, and the one that Eiji was now invited to. Eiji figured he had nothing to lose, and maybe even find his brother, and had headed for the secretive underworld tournament. That brought him to here, Tokyo, after taking a flight from where he currently had been travelling through Europe, where he was waiting for his long-time friend, rival, and old training partner, Kayin Amoh. Or, as Eiji had nicknamed him in accordance to Japanese name honourifics, Kayin-chan. Eiji had other nicknames for Kayin too, but many were not worth repeating again. Also in the letter, Kayin told him that he would be arriving at the same time and airport as Eiji. And now, fate had brought the two together again, as the legendary Toshindaibukai was drawing near.     Eiji was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice that he had walked into a path of a young girl running down the terminal, breathing hard and obviously in a hurry, until it was too late to get out of the way. She tried to put on the brakes, but skidded, and the two collided and fell over.     "Gomenasai, I should have been watching where I was going," Eiji got up and went to retrieve her suitcase, which had skittered across the floor. He handed it to the girl, getting a good look at her appearance. She didn't look much older than a teenager, and was wearing an outfit consisting of a pair of faded, cropped jean shorts, a small white halter top that was tied in a bow at the back, and a pair of dusty sandals with black straps and silver buckles. Around her neck, hanging from a thin chain, was a small heart-shaped locket, crafted out of glittering silver. She had big, bright, sparkling blue eyes, and hastily brushed her short, emerald-green hair out of her face and smiled, but it seemed saddened somehow.     "It's okay," was all that she said, and even that was barely more than a whisper. From his world travels, Eiji quickly noted a Hungarian accent in her voice that made her i's sound like e's. "It was my fault anyway." She took her suitcase and continued her race down the hall, her sandals making slapping noises against the hard, elaborately tiled floor as she hastily weaved her way through the crowd.     "Gomen!" Eiji called again, but she was already out of earshot. He continued on to gate 12, this time being more cautious to see where he was going. He got there just in time to see another young man, with aqua-green eyes and light orange-tinged, almost blond, long hair, coming out of the gate. He looked rather awed at the sight of the terminal, and yet anxious at the same time. The man tightened his red jacket with black armoured shoulder pads around his neck, and continued on, matching other people's strange looks with a nasty look of his own. Eiji smirked. Only one guy was like that, or dared to do that kind of thing.     "Kayin!"     "Eiji?"     Eiji ran over and they both hugged, each glad to see their childhood friend.     "Man, it's great to see you!" Eiji said, laughing.     "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Kayin grinned, still with his broad Scottish accent that hadn't faded over the years, not a bit, not even the fact that he had lived in Japan for part of his life and was almost fluent in the language.     "Three years."     "Goddammit, you've grown since I last saw you," Kayin said.     "So have you." Eiji smiled slyly. "But make no mistakes, Kayin-chan, I probably can still kick your ass, just like I used to when we were training."     Kayin gave Eiji a shove. "Just when did you ever kick my ass?"     "Only all the time."     "Like anyone's ever gonna believe you."     "And they'd believe you?"     Kayin laughed. "I'm not getting too caught up in this. I could beat you physically and verbally any day, Eiji Shinjo. But not in an airport. We oughta get our luggage so people will stop staring."     Eiji agreed. They did just that, and headed out to the parking lot to find a taxi, all the time still ignoring the looks they got from the other passersby, as two young men with strange outfits and sword-hilts was not a common site. It made Eiji feel rather uncomfortable, but Kayin didn't seem to care in the slightest. At least, not that he showed it. Kayin didn't show much.     "By the way..." said Eiji quietly, wondering if now was a good time to mention it (or if _any_ time was a good time to mention it), "I'm really sorry - you know - about what happened to your father."     Kayin grew solemn, and his eyes lost some of the green fire that had always been there, that, like his accent, hadn't dimmed at all over the years. "I know. Thanks. I still miss him. But I will find my father's killer and avenge his death - at the tournament."     Eiji looked at his friend, concerned. "Are you sure - that he will be here, I mean?"     "I
know it," replied Kayin confidently, but a hint of sadness showed in his voice. Eiji smiled to himself, yet felt sorrow for his friend. Kayin had always tried to keep the sensitive part of him covered up, as he preferred to be tough. It did suit Kayin's style well, but Eiji believed people shouldn't be anything else other than who they are. Kayin turned to Eiji once again. "This is THE tournament, isn't it? The one you said that Sho had gone to? And that he didn't come back afterwards?"     Eiji
nodded slowly. "He was training to represent our clan at the tournament...and as I said, one day I came home and he was gone. He left the invitation behind. That's how I knew." He shuddered. "It was somewhat frightening, to say the least. He usually told me when he was leaving. It kind of made me think, you know? That maybe I didn't know my own niisan as well as I thought. But all he left behind was the invitation."     Kayin
glanced at the sheath at Eiji's side. "And the Byakko no Tachi, right?"     "Yeah,"
Eiji said quietly, sighing. "But I still can't help wondering if he still might be here, at the Toshindaibukai. It's a long shot, I know, but I've been through just about everything else to find him, to hell and back."     Kayin
glanced at Eiji, looking somewhat concerned. "You really do miss him, don't you?"     Eiji
replied rather sadly, "What else can I say? He's my only family now." A determined look passed over his young face. "And I'm not giving up on my niisan, nor am I going to betray him. I'm going to make him proud of me, wherever he is."     Kayin
decided to stay quiet. And yet, a thought lingered, echoeing through the recesses of his mind. _Sho...it might have been..._ He inadvertantely narrowed his eyes, something he was quite fond of doing, though it was more of a habit. _I never fully trusted him anyway...it was always like he was keeping something from us, but would never tell us what..._ Kayin glanced back at Eiji. _But I can't say anything to Eiji...God knows how he would take the insinuation that--_ He decided to stop thinking about that rather touchy subject, and instead raised a black-gloved hand to finger the little silver cross that had always hung around his neck, reflecting in his religious beliefs. Though they too, like so many other things in Kayin's life, had seriously been in question since his father's death. _Father, I won't let you down._     They
found a taxi that would take them to the tournament grounds. On the way, Kayin noticed that his friend had become awfully quiet, quieter than he himself had been just a minute ago. However, he waited until after the taxi had dropped them off before asking, "Hey, what's eating you?"     "Well,"
Eiji started seriously, "maybe it's just fighter's instinct, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something really screwed about this whole tournament. My niisan told me about it. He said this tournament is highly secret. Why would that be? And it's usually held around the end of August, but this is the middle of April."     "Damn,
you still worry too much, Eiji," Kayin laughed. "Let's just forget about it for now, and concentrate on kicking some ass instead!"     "Yeah,
maybe you're right," Eiji sighed. _Soredemo..._ he mused.     They
turned around to face the large, stone double-doors that were imprinted with the kanji for 'Toh' 'Shin' and 'Den'.     "Well,
are you ready for this?" Eiji said with a hint of excitement in his voice. A real tournament to fight in! And the Toshin tournament no less. It was a dream come true for the aspiring young adventurer.     Kayin,
seeing his friend's excitement, grinned and answered back, "Sure am. Are you?"     "Damn
straight!"     Kayin
shot Eiji a sly grin and gave him a thumbs-up. "Well then, as you say here in Japan, ikimasu!!" And with that, they entered the building and, more unknowingly, into a part of their destiny itself...

**********


	3. Chapter Two: Warriors

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER TWO: Warriors**   
  
**Translations:** _    niisan
_ - informal version of oniisan, elder brother _    saa
_ - now _    -chan
_ - honourific used on the end of names, usually children or close friends _    hai
_ - yes _    komusume
_ - little girl _    baka
_ - idiot

  


***********

  
    "You two guys are lucky," the man at the door said to Eiji and Kayin. "You're the first ones here, so you get first choice of sleeping cabins."     After looking at several cabins, Eiji chose one while Kayin chose another not far away. Before they parted to unpack, Eiji commented, "It looks like we both got good cabins. It appears we both have a private room to ourselves, ne?"     "Yeah," Kayin replied, but he was lost in his own thoughts at the moment.

***********

    But both Eiji and Kayin couldn't have been more wrong. The cabins definitely were not private. When they looked the cabins over, they both failed to notice small and cleverly set cameras in each of the rooms, recording what they said and did. A set of computers read off their names, ages, and other general information. Sitting behind these computers and scrolling through the shots and info was a large man wearing a lot of heavy dark armour. Two claw-type appendages swayed slightly as there was a rush of air behind him. Another person, clad in the white 'Angel Armour', came up behind him. She had the appearance of an angel, descended from heaven, yet to those who knew her, it was more likely ascended from hell. "Well, Gaia?"     Gaia turned around in his chair. "I think you'll be quite impressed with the fighters of this tournament, Uranusu," he answered in a deep voice, amplified to a low booming sound by his black 'Devil Armour'.     Uranus looked quite unimpressed. "Gaia, the rest of the Himitsu Kessha most definitely will not be very happy when they find out you organized this tournament without their authorization. Be thankful I'm helping you at all. And don't forget, it's only because I was put in charge of the tournament."     "Tell the Himitsu I'm doing this for them."     "Oh, all right, tell me what you have discovered." Uranus sounded slightly bored, as if she had something better to do.     Gaia turned back to his computer and pressed a few buttons. "Well, first there's Rungo Iron. North American, 30 years old. Clearly one of the strongest and most muscle-built fighters we've had so far. He entered to find his wife and son, who are currently being ransomed by us for a rare type of mineral he mined, 'uranium'." Uranus acknowledged this by nodding tersely, and Gaia continued. "Next, we have Tracy, also North American, 21 years old, a feisty yet agile police officer from New York, one of our newest competitors. Then we have Sofia--"     "Sofia?!?" Uranus interrupted quickly. "Wasn't she the Russian spy we encountered a few years back?"     "Yes, she is," Gaia replied. "She's entered to unravel her unclear past, but I don't think she knows her memory loss is our doing."     "Good. Let's see that it stays that way," Uranus pointed to the screen. "And what about these two?"     Under his dark layer of armour, Gaia smiled coldly. "I thought those two would interest you," he answered. "The one on the right is Kayin Amoh. He's here looking for the murderer of his father, one of the contenders from a past tournament who - ahem - lost. To the winner of that year's Toshindaibukai."     Uranus smugly smiled. "I seriously doubt anyone could defeat our current champion."     Nodding and going on, not wishing to comment any further, Gaia started to describe the other person. And the one on the left is Eiji Shinjo--"     "Eiji Shinjo??" Uranus interrupted again. She quickly gained recomposure of herself and nodded smartly. "I knew he would come. Things shall now get...interesting. To say the least. The younger and only brother of Sho. Not quite as powerful, not quite...but he will do. Nicely. Saa...does he know?"     "I don't think he knows the whole story," Gaia turned to Uranus. "It will be quite ironic for him, after all these years..." Gaia looked over at the computer screen. "And here's the best part: both Eiji and Kayin have trained with Sho, and have mastered many of the same moves he has. Their fighting style is almost equal to his. Almost."     "Well, now," Uranus commented quietly. "This 'Kayin Amoh'...even if he does not know who he's looking for, he will find him, soon enough." She lowered her voice for effect. "It will come as quite a...shock, ne?" Before Gaia could answer, Uranus continued. "Ah, then this is perfect. They shall both be our next subjects in our project."     "But they will not willingly be our warriors," Gaia reminded Uranus. "Unlike _him_."     Uranus sighed, but with a hint of a cruel smile. "I can be very persuasive, can I not?"     "And there are still four more contestants which I haven't mentioned yet." Gaia added. "Duke Rambert, a knight and master swordsman. I've heard he even faced off against Eiji once. Also, a Yaki-Clan warrior named Mondo, a magician named Fo-Fai, and a gypsy girl named Ellis. This Ellis is said to be very good. She has a lot of experience as a dancer, and is very agile and has the most moves of all the contenders."     "Very well. Focus our project on these three fighters: Eiji, Kayin, and Ellis." Uranus turned around, stretched her gossamer white feathered wings, and left, high heels tapping in fluid motion that quickly faded into nothingness. Gaia turned back to his computer solemnly. Not even Uranus, the angel of death of the Himitsu Kessha, knew the true reason for his suddenly assembly of the next Toshinden tournament. He had organized the tournament in hopes of attracting one girl...Ellis.

***********

    That afternoon, Eiji and Kayin met outside their cabins, and practiced some of their moves on each other, just to see how strong they had gotten.     "Rekkuzan!"     "Sonic Slash!"     Again.     The fireballs cancelled each other out yet again, in a small explosion of red and yellow sparks. Eiji dashed towards Kayin quickly and tried to throw a few quick slashes, but Kayin sidestepped and kicked Eiji's feet out from under him.     "Now, what was that you were saying about _always_ kicking my ass?" Kayin laughed.     Eiji sprung back up quickly. "Oh, just this!" He leaped backwards, away from Kayin, and with a yell of, "Ryuseikyaku!!" Eiji shot towards his friend, foot trailing flame and blazing a fiery path. Kayin was not expecting this and hit the ground, but got back up and retaliated with a Shoulder Crush, which was hastily blocked. The fight went much like that, blocking and countering.     "We're too evenly matched, Kayin-chan!" Eiji observed while dodging a snap kick.     "Are you saying that you're giving up?" Kayin questioned after parrying a high slash.     "Give up? To you? I seriously doubt that!"     "So be it, Eiji-chan! Prepare to lose!"     It turned out to be--what else?--a tie (much to Kayin's chagrin), since their skills were too evenly matched. They bowed, shook hands and nodded, breathing heavily. Eiji and Kayin decided not to go back to their cabins for a bit, but to see some of the other fighters taking part in the tournament. There was a winding stone path that led through the surrounding forest to the various cabins, and most of the warriors were taking that way to their dormatories. First came a rather heavy-set man toting a large stone club. "Wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley," Kayin muttered, half to Eiji, half to himself. Next came a solemn-looking man with a long spear, his long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Eiji drew in his breath.     "A Yaki-Clan warrior!"     "A what?"     "A Yaki-Clan warrior. The Yaki-Ichizoku. A very ancient, very honourable, and unfortunately, very formidable band of Japanese warriors. Not exactly the friendly type."     "So I see."     Just then, the sound of clicking heels against stone could be heard. Another fighter appeared, this one quite different from the previous ones. Eiji and Kayin stared.     "A _woman_???" Kayin said incrediously.     "And wow, what a woman!" exclaimed Eiji.     The young woman was very thin and extremely buxom, and, well, rather scantily-clad in black leather, with stiletto heels, big pink triangle-shaped earrings, elbow-length leather gloves, and blond hair tied in a ponytail. Hanging off of her waist was a long, thin, mauve-coloured bullwhip. She, unlike the others, noticed the two regarding her with interest, and, with a small smile on her ruby-coloured lips, sauntered over to Eiji.     "Well, you are cute one, no?" she said tauntingly.     Eiji was speechless.     "The strong, silent type, I see. Just the way I like them."     "Hey, no fair! How come you get all the girls, Eiji?" Kayin protested in annoyance.     "Well, I simply must be on my way, boys. How _nice_ to meet you two. Oh, and by the way...the name is Sofia. Remember it."     Eiji and Kayin noticed at the same time that she spoke with a strong Russian accent. She continued down the path, all the while in her swaying gait with the whip dangling from her slender hips.     "Who...who...was that?" asked Eiji finally.     "My, quite shy around women, aren't you, Eiji?"     "Shut up."     "She said her name was Sofia. She sure does like you though."     "Fighting first, romance second. That's what I say."     "Funny, never heard you say that before."     "Oh, never mind."     "You know, you really ought to work on actually talking to girls. It's not that hard."     "I said shut up."     Just then, another female contender came down the path. This one looked feisty, with a ball cap reading _Police_ jammed backwards over her past- shoulder-length blue hair. She wore a small green tube top and tight black bike shorts under a pair of green cropped ones. A large, rather gaudy gold star-shaped badge gleamed in the sun, and she relentlessly twirled a pair of tonfas in her hands.     "Ah. Okay. Watch the master and learn," said Kayin confidently.     "Better watch it, Kayin-chan. Those sticks are gonna hurt when she beats you over the head with them."     "Hah. Better than your hooker-babe back there. At least I can talk to girls. Just watch this." With his usual look of overconfidence on his face, Kayin walked up to her.     Not a smart thing.     And especially not to this particular type of girl.     Eiji buried his head in his hands. _Baka._     "Yo, miss. Here to enter the tournament?"     "No, I'm here to sightsee," she said sarcastically. "Screw off, pretty boy." She walked off down the path, leaving Kayin dumbfounded. Eiji snickered.     "The master, ne? Of what, embarrassment?"     "Well...uh...she must be in a hurry."     Eiji snickered again. "Yeah, right. Teach me more, oh master of women."     Before Kayin could retort (and he _was_ planning a good one), a sudden voice came from behind them. "Eiji Shinjo! How...nice...to see you again."     Eiji groaned. He knew that voice all too well. Turning around, he saw exactly who he expected to see. Duke B. Rambert, a French swordsman he had met in a match a couple years ago. Not only had Eiji beaten Duke, he had broken Duke's beloved two-handed sword, the Dernier Vancour, as well. Now, it looked like Duke had fixed his sword and was out to get revenge. And sworn vengeance from a guy with a sword that big was not a good thing. Eiji secretly hoped he didn't believe in beheading as well.     "Well, well, well. Isn't _this_ a surprise!" Duke said, coming over to Eiji, his armour clanking, a slight but rather forced grin on his face. "I do hope we get to fight again. Then I could show you that I don't make the same mistakes twice!"     Eiji grit his teeth in annoyance and was in mid-rebuttal when another voice from behind them said, "Excuse me. Is this where the Toshinden tournament is being held?"     Everybody turned around. A young girl stood on the path, suitcase in hand, green hair blowing slightly in the breeze, blue eyes big and sparkling. Nobody knew who she was, save for Eiji. It was the same girl who had crashed into him at the airport. She bowed to the group. "Hi. I'm Ellis, and I'm here to enter the tournament. I'm pleased to meet all of you."     Duke laughed, and said in a mocking tone, "Aren't you a bit _young_ to be in the tournament?"     She immediately turned on him. "I happen to be sixteen years old, you walking tin can!" Then she noticed Eiji. "Hey, haven't I seen you before?"     "Hai, we met at the airport," said Eiji, "but I seriously don't think you should be entering the tournament. You might get hurt."     "And why is that? Because I'm a little girl??" she shot back coldly.     "Well, uh...yeah."     Ellis's eyes narrowed, and a smile started to form on her face. "Huh. I expected as much. I'm not afraid to get hurt. And I can take on any one of you."     Eiji laughed. "Oh yeah? Let's put it to the test, komusume!"     He rushed towards her, planning to do his patented foot-sweep, the Shugekidan, but Ellis jumped over him and kicked him in the back. Eiji lost his balance and landed face-first in the dirt. Muttering a few very colourful Japanese obscenities, he got to his feet, blood boiling and face flaming with humiliation, to see Ellis standing, laughing at him, without a hair out of place! Duke snickered and said, "Couldn't have done it better myself."     "Look!" he shouted at Ellis. "this is no place for kids! Or girls for that matter! I'd leave if I were you!!" Eiji stormed off angrily. Kayin hastily followed, but not until he shot Ellis a "you-really-shouldn't-have- done-that" look.     "Just a girl, am I??" Ellis shouted after Eiji. "Well, I'll show you how good we girls are, _baka!!_ I'm staying in the tournament, whether you or anyone else likes it or not!!!"

**********


	4. Chapter Three: Watchers

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER THREE: Watchers**   
  
**Translations:** _    baka
_ - stupid _    onore
_ - damn you _    mina-san
_ - everyone (polite) _    kusou
_ - shit 

  


***********

  
    Ellis marched into her cabin and flung her suitcase down angrily onto her bed. She watched it bounce a few times before settling, and then she plunked herself beside it, head in her hands.     "Nobody's going to tell me what to do," she muttered to herself sourly, "And I'm _not_ too young. I'll show them. I'm going to kick ass in this tournament, and I'm going to find my father!" Ellis glared out the door. "So eat _that_, you machoistic spiky-haired jerk!" She sighed and shook her head, then checked the clock. There was supposed to be an announcement in about five minutes. Then she was to find who was fighting first, and when her turn to fight was. Ellis opened her suitcase and took out two double-edged knives known as Dirks, and left the cabin. Like Kayin and Eiji, she too failed to notice that her room had also been bugged.

***********

    "Eiji-chan, you suck."     "Shut up."     "You suck hard-core."     "I said shut up."     "You suck hard-core _big time_."     "Shut _up_!!"     "You lost to a little girl! You, of all people!"     "I underestimated her, okay? So just get off my back about it, will you?"     "Damn straight, you underestimated her! And got humiliated in front of your rival, I may add."     "I suppose if I say _please_ shut up, it's not going to help, is it?"     "Probably not."     "Onore."     "_Attention, attention, all fighters participating in the Toshindaibukai, please listen to this announcement._"     Eiji and Kayin glanced at each other, their argument a minute ago forgotten. Kayin shrugged. "Guess that means us, too."     Eiji nodded, and the two listened intently to the announcement that was being made over the intercom in their cabin.     "_Welcome everyone, to the Toshindaibukai weaponry tournament. The first battle will be announced soon. But first we will explain the rules. Number one: Each fight will last approximately ninety-nine seconds. Number two: You win if you knock your opponent out in the alotted time, or if you manage to him or her out of the ring. We will now call the fighters competing, and if you would be so kind as to press the small red button on the intercom in your cabin to let us know you're here._"     "Damn," Kayin muttered. "Better get back to mine. I'll just be a minute." Kayin left the cabin, Eiji watching after him. _Wonder how he's going to handle this tourney..._ Eiji thought intently. _He does have that baka temper of his, after all..._     Eiji suddenly heard his name called over the announcement. He got up and pressed the red button in the lower-left corner of the speaker. It was acknowledged, and Eiji stood and listened to the other names. There was a pause between each, which could be guessed as when the other fighters checked in.     "_Kayin Amoh._"     "_Sofia._"     "_Rungo Iron._"     "_Fo-Fai._"     "_Mondo._"     "_Duke B. Rambert._"     "_Ellis._"     "_Tracy._"     Kayin sprinted back in. "Did I miss anything?"     Eiji shook his head. "Just the rest of the roll call."     Kayin sighed. "Ach, and I wanted to see if I knew any of them."     Eiji grinned. "That's way too obvious, Kayin-chan. You wanted to see if any of them are on your bounty-hunting list, didn't you?"     "Hey, just cuz I'm at a tourney doesn't mean I can't still make money."     Eiji sighed.     "_Good luck to you all!_" the announcer continued. "_The first match is between Kayin Amoh vs. Fo-Fai. Spectators are welcome. Would these two fighters please meet in the tournament's main arena now._"     "Oh, him!" Kayin groaned.     "You know this Fo character?" asked Eiji.     "He's an assassin and a deadly magician." Kayin though a second. "Maybe he killed my father."     "Well, looks like there's only one way to find out. Good luck, and knock him out!"     Kayin grinned and made a thumbs-up, then headed out the door.

***********

    The main battle arena was not far away from the dorms, and could be likened to a coliseum of sorts. Spectators were already starting to gather, mostly the media and martial arts fans and wannabe fighters alike. Both Kayin and Fo were at opposite ends of the arena, warming up. There were quite a few young ladies screaming to Kayin, handsome blond that he was, and every so often Kayin would blow them a kiss. The girls soon had to be removed from the stadium by the tourney medics, due to them passing out. Kayin grinned to himself and praticed a few more quick kicks and slashes. A few minutes later, the announcer's voice rang out.     "Mina-san, welcome to the first battle of the Toshindaibukai!"     The crowd screamed in its excitement.     "Ladies and gentlemen, your fighters for this battle! Please welcome KAYIN AMOH and FO-FAI!"     The crowd cheered even louder. Kayin acknowledged the crowd with a devilish grin, which had become quite a trademark of him. Cameras flashed in his face. The two opponents walked to the dividing line, and engaged in a little pre-fight conversation. (Trash-talking: the audience's favorite part)     Fo, a short man of 106 years old, with the spotlights gleaming off the iron claws attached to his arms, said cackling, "So this is the young man who's been sent here to fight me. Ah, young blood. My favorite type."     Kayin smirked. "Don't think I don't know all about you." He unsheathed his Excalibur, and pretended to admire it for a minute. "Fo-Fai, the great magician..." Kayin's eyes locked on his. "...And an even greater assassin."     "Me?" Fo laughed. "You must have me confused with someone else. I'm just a harmless old man."     "We'll see about that."     "Bout 1!" came the announcer's voice. "Fight!!"     Kayin started off with his Deadly Rays uppercut attack, but Fo brought him down with a quick Pagoda Kick. Kayin wasn't down for more than a few seconds before he jumped up and did a Rising Sun flip kick, hitting Fo in the face. He got up just as quickly as Kayin did, surprising for an old man. He suddenly shouted "Mystic Sphere!" and a giant ball of purple light appeared in front of him, hitting Kayin in the chest. Kayin grimaced for a second, then smiled.     "Not bad, old man," Kayin murmured, "but still not good enough to keep me down." The crowd roared its approval.     Deciding to try a different approach, Kayin launched a series of quick sword swipes, knocking Fo to the ground. He then decided to follow these up with Shoulder Crush, bringing his leg down on Fo's back as he lay on the arena floor. This resulted in K.O., and Kayin was declared winner of Bout 1.

***********

_     So. He 
_is_ here. I suppose that means the other one is too. This shall not go unnoticed. Keeping a close watch on them may prove to be more than useful._

***********

    Bout 2 started out pretty much the same way. Fo leapt straight up in the air and started another Mystic Sphere. This sphere moved - toward Kayin. He quickly rolled out of the way, but still caught a bit of it in the arm.     "Lay off with those things, would ya?" he shouted angrily. He gave Fo three more sharp kicks, and then shouted "Sonic Slash!" and sent a large fireball exploding out from his sword that knocked Fo over. When he started to get up, he was hit with another of the same.     Walking over to where Fo lay, Kayin asked, "Did you kill my father, Fo?"     Instead of answering, Fo leapt up and a long slash across Kayin's chest with his claws. Fortunately, Kayin leapt back in surprise just as he did this, and the claws only sliced through the thin cloth of Kayin's shirt.     "Hey!" yelled Kayin, mildly annoyed. "This was one of my best shirts!"     Kayin quickly retaliated with another Sonic Slash, followed by three-Shoulder Crush combo. This ended up with Fo lying face down on the arena floor again.     "I'll ask again," Kayin demanded as Fo lay on the ground. "Did you kill my father?"     "Of course not. I only like young blood," he replied.     "I see," Kayin said. "Well, you're on the bounty hunting list anyway, so I figure I better take you in, get my money, stuff like that." Kayin smugly smiled. Then, noticing that there was no fencing around the arena, an idea began to form. Slowly Kayin began backing towards the edge of the ring. When he was as close as he dared, he waited for Fo to make the next move. Fortunately, Fo did exactly what Kayin was hoping for: another Pagoda Kick. The kick came flying through the air, and just when it was about to connect, Kayin ducked, and Fo sailed over the edge. Kayin watched as he plunged downwards and landed on the mats below.     "Ring out. The winner - KAYIN AMOH!" the announcer's voice shouted, while the audience cheered.     "Yeah!" Kayin shouted, raising his sword in the air, flashbulbs going off in his face. Kayin then turned around, and yelled down into the crevice, "Hey, old man! I'll be back for ya someday, then you ain't _never_ gonna get out of jail!" Laughing, Kayin returned to the dorms. Eiji was waiting for him when for he returned.     "I got the news," he said. "Way to go, Kayin-chan. I knew you could do it."     "Thanks. The only bad part about it was that Fo wasn't the one who killed my father." Kayin grinned.     "That's too bad. But I know you'll find him somewhere at this tournament."     "Well, all that ass-kicking sure worked up my appetite," Kayin said. "Why don't we go get something to eat?"     "Sure," Eiji agreed. On the way, they passed a bulletin board, and Eiji noticed that the next match had already been posted.     "I'm in the next match," he informed Kayin. "And I have to fight..." Eiji looked at the bulletin board again and groaned, "Kusou."     "Who is it?" asked Kayin.     "Duke. I have to fight Duke. Tomorrow morning." He sighed. "Just my luck."     "Too bad," Kayin said. "But you beat him once before. You can probably do it again."     "Let's hope so," Eiji replied. At least he wasn't fighting Ellis. Ever since their 'argument' earlier, she refused to even look at him. Once he looked at her, and she gave him a cold glare before walking away. Then again, he reminded himself, there were few things less humiliating than getting beat up by a girl. And if Ellis wanted to enter the tournament and risk getting herself killed, then that was her problem, not his.

***********

    "Your computer was right about Kayin. He is a very formidable fighter," Uranus said to Gaia. They had both watched Kayin fight against Fo, thanks to more secret cameras hidden in the ring. "He shall make a fine fighter for our side!"     "I knew you'd like him," replied Gaia. "Shall we try and capture him now?"     "No. We must wait until the time is right. I want to see how Sho's brother does in his fights before we try anything."     "As you wish."

**********


	5. Chapter Four: Vengeance

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER FOUR: Vengeance**   
  
**Translations:** _    niisan
_ - informal version of oniisan, elder brother _    onegai
_ - please _    damare
_ - shut up _    mina-san
_ - everyone (polite) _    chikusho
_ - dammit _    sayonara
_ - good-bye _    yosha
_ - all right _    baka
_ - idiot _    -chan
_ - honourific used on ends of names, usually children or close friends _    koko wa
_ - where am I _    anata wa dare
_ - who are you _    hen na no yume
_ - a strange dream _    -kun
_ - honourific used to replace -san when dealing with younger colleagues (Ellis has got this wrong ^_^;;) 

  
**********

  
    The next morning, Eiji headed over to one of the side arenas, feeling nervous in spite of himself. He had managed to defeat Duke once, but that was quite awhile ago. Perhaps Duke had managed to hone his fighting skills better now that he knew someone could defeat him. Eiji pulled his sword partway out of the sheath and admired its shine, remembering that the Byakko no Tachi katana was rumoured to be magical. _If this sword is magical,_ Eiji thought, please help me in this battle. I like a challenge, but I have to defend my honor this time. He looked up to the cloudless, ethereal blue sky and sighed quietly. _Yeah, I know I'm a little naive, and I'm never going to be even half as good as my niisan is, but I do try my best. Onegai..._ So, he headed onward to the arena, his feet feeling like they were strapped to lead weights. Eiji entered the small coliseum, that served as today's fight's arena, and stood in the doorway for a second before entering the platform. Eiji headed towards the dividing line, accompanied by a chorus of cheers from the spectators. The Duke himself was waiting.     "Finally," he laughed, "the chance to even the score and earn back my pride is mine at last!"     "Damare! You aren't going to get that chance!" yelled Eiji, unsheathing his sword and getting into his fighting pose, as did Duke most willingly. The audience roared its excitement.     "Let's just get on to proving who's the best!"     "You're on!"     "Mina-san, your fighters for this battle! EIJI SHINJO and DUKE RAMBERT!!" called the announcer. "Bout 1! FIGHT!!"     Duke decided to open up the battle, and spun around in a circle, slashing his two-handed sword through the air. Eiji jumped out of the way, the sword barely missing him. Duke swung around and brought his sword down on top of Eiji, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him to the floor. Eiji rolled in and got to his feet quickly. Now it's my turn, Eiji thought with a sly grin. He got up, raised his Hyakko no Tachi, and yelled, "Rekkuzan!!" A large blast of fire flew from the slash, similar to Kayin's Sonic Slash. The fireball hit Duke full in the face, and knocked him over, but he quickly recovered and launched a spectacular attack which left a lot of shimmering sparks in the air and included Duke charging into Eiji with his sword and then doing a flip, as well as numerous sword slashes. Eiji was knocked to the floor, hard, while some portions of the crowd cheered, others booed. It was clear that Duke had the advantage in this fight, but as Eiji started to get up, he remembered something Sho had taught him years ago.     _Every attack has a hole. Find that hole and use it._     _The hole?_ Eiji thought to himself, _What hole? Chikusho, niisan, what did you mean?_ Just then Duke charged forwards and started to do another of the same attack, which Eiji had learned in his last battle was called the Southern Cross, and just as it was about to hit, Eiji saw it. Of course, the hole, the break in the attack! Quickly, Eiji jumped up and out of the way. Duke, unable to control his forward momentum, careened off and over the edge with a surprised yell. Eiji grinned. _Eiji 1, Duke zip. Sayonara, baka._     The second bout was looking to be a pretty tough match. However, Eiji had gotten his second wind, and was ready for an enraged Duke who was humiliated with his early loss. As Duke rushed towards him, Eiji jumped up and came down with his fiery mid-air kick right in Duke's stomach, calling "Ryuseikyaku!!", the Shooting Star Kick. Duke fell heavily to the floor with a clang, winded. He got up and rushed at Eiji again, but Eiji slid almost underneath Duke, driving his foot in and knocking Duke over, followed up by a Hishouzan, thrusting his sword out and executing a blender-type uppercut like Kayin's Deadly Rays. _Though Kayin had always been better at the uppercuts than me_, Eiji thought as he landed on his feet. He advanced towards Duke, wary as why he had not gotten up quickly. Eiji shrugged, and turned around. _Guess I've won this fight too_, he thought, but then heard a yell that signified that the fight wasn't over yet.     "COUP DE GRAS!!!"     Eiji whirled around just in time to see Duke spin around and slam his sword, flaring with purple sparks of ki, right on top of Eiji's head. Eiji tried to block, but it was in vain. The attack was just too powerful. Eiji crumpled to the ground, blackness overcoming him. When he regained conciousness quite a few seconds later, he opened his eyes to see the spectators hushed and Duke standing over him. "Poor boy, defeated by one who is truly greater than you," laughed Duke. "Now we are even, Eiji Shinjo!"     Eiji coughed and slowly got to his knees. "Anta...sono te..no..ka yo..."     Duke was taken aback as Eiji stood up shakily.     "Byakki..."     That was definitely something Duke did not want to hear. Nor did he want to see the blue sparks of ki crackling off of Eiji's diminutive frame. Eiji's eyes snapped open, and he dashed forward, holding out his sword in front of him.     "...MOSHUUUUUUUUKEN!!!!!!!"     Suddenly, Eiji was in Duke's face, throwing hard kicks and fiery slashes at a speed that seemed inhumanly possible, and finally, blasted him with a powered-up Hishouzan that lit up the castle. Duke went flying from the blast of ki, and landed with a loud metallic clank--on the other side of the arena.     "The winner--EIJI SHINJO!" said the announcer.     Going over to where Duke was getting up, Eiji said, "You don't make the same mistakes twice, ne? Right."     Eiji turned, but just before he did, heard Duke cough and mutter something that sounded like, "Uranus..."     _Uranus?_     Eiji looked over his shoulder, but saw that Duke was gone.     _Who the hell is Uranus?_     He shrugged, and pushed such an unimportant thought to the back of his mind, as he often did, even if the thought turned out to be more than important. Eiji left the arena, though, as always, felt somewhat dishonoured at gloating at his fallen opponent. Once he made it back to the tourney grounds, he found Kayin waiting for him.     "That's great!" Kayin said, once Eiji had told him how he'd done. "You see? I told you you could do it, damn it. I knew that Duke B-for-Bastard Rambert was all talk and no action. Are you okay?"     Eiji rubbed his shoulder. "A little sore, but otherwise fine." He grinned smartly. "The ol' Byakki-Moshuken comes through for me again." He made the victory sign and winked. "Yosha!"     Kayin laughed. "Oh, so Duke actually managed to get you in the red, did he? Either he got better or you've gotten worse. And I'm sure the ladies didn't cheer for you as loud as they did for me yesterday."     "Don't start with me, Kayin-chan."     When the two got back to their cabins, Eiji found someone waiting for him. She was leaning up against the door of his cabin, slowly winding and unwinding a whip around her long red-nail tipped fingers. She looked somewhat pensive, perhaps lost in her thoughts.     "Sofia!"     "I need to talk to you. Alone."     Kayin got the message and headed for his cabin, but not before winking at Eiji. Eiji shot him a very dark look. Kayin gave him a devilish grin and left. When they were alone, Sofia turned to him and said, "I watched you fight against Duke."     "How is that possible?"     "I have my ways," she replied quietly. "Listen well. I have seen someone with the same moves and fighting style as you before. And even though I do not remember much, it stands out in my mind." Sofia told Eiji that a couple of years back, she had been surrounded by assassins while on a 'mission' of hers. Eiji was confused. "What do you mean by a 'mission'? And why would assassins have attacked you?"     "That is not imporatant. Yet."     Sofia continued by saying that she was rescued by a mysterious stranger. The man had a sword and had used a fighting style that was almost identical to Eiji's, and Sofia had also noticed that Eiji had the man's eyes. She was wondering if Eiji had been the one who had saved her life.     "I'm afraid it couldn't have been me," Eiji said after Sofia finished, "but it does sound like my brother, Sho. I think he might have been the one." He bit his lower lip. "Did...did you know him?"     "I do not know," she snapped, almost angrily, but quickly recovered. "It has been one of the foremost mysteries that I am trying to uncover. Perhaps recovering this memory is the key to uncovering some of these things...for both of us."     "What do you mean, 'recovering memories'?" Eiji asked, still slightly confused. But Sofia said no more. Her deep blue eyes were not focused on him; but rather staring emptily into the blackness of the oncoming night.

**********

    "Eiji is a good fighter," Uranus concluded. "Just like his brother. Swordsplay must run in the family."     "Well, are you satisfied enough?" asked Gaia with a proud smile.     "I must congratulate you, Gaia. You have managed to bring two very talented combatants to this tournament. These two will make fine champions for us."     "I thought so. How do you propose we capture them?"     "We still must wait until the time is right," said Uranus mused.     "And try to get them both at the same time. That way, one won't notice the other missing and raise the alarm. That shall be our plan of attack. But for now, we must be patient."

**********

_     Ne, niisan, what is destiny?     Why do you ask, Eiji?     It's just...well...everyone says you have a great destiny.     That is true.     How, niisan?     Eiji, it was destiny that gave me the sword. It will also be my destiny when I fight in the great tournament. It is your destiny to be my brother. And, one day, you will have a destiny as well.     I will?     Yes. Destiny is the wheel of unavoidable fate, that decides our ultimate goal in life, who we are, and what we are meant to be. Everyone has a destiny to live up to. That is all, Eiji.
_     The quiet sequence of voices faded, only to give way to enigmatic dream. Eiji was standing at one edge of a great arena, with an almost translucent floor. All around him was a great ancient city, with pillars and castles and unimaginable stone formations. The sky was dark, darker than he had ever seen, and silver-blue bolts of lightning flickered across the black covering of clouds. Eiji looked around him. It was almost as if he was awake and asleep at the same time.     "Koko wa...?"     _You are here, young one. In my battle arena._     Eiji whirled around, looking for the source of the voice that seemed to come from all directions at once.     _What a fool you are. Look in front of you._     Eiji did as he was told, and noticed that a mist was rising up around the arena. From these mists walked a woman, slowly yet very sure of herself. Her short purple hair, contrasting with her ivory skin and ruby-red lips, was flowing gently behind her from the light breeze, as was the maroon shawl draped over top of her black bodysuit and gloves, wrapped around her shoulders and tied at the front by tassled knots. Eiji tensed, and his hand crept towards his sword-hilt when he saw that she was carring what looked to be a large glaive of some sort, almost a halberd, with a long, thick blade mounted on a stick. She smiled slightly, red eyes flashing.     _So. You are the one they call Eiji Shinjo, the burning Yamato soul._     "Anata wa...dare?"     _Ah, that question would lead to many more, which I am not prepared to answer. I will simply say that I am a watcher, a turner, an agent of Fortuna if you will. I turn the wheel of fate._     "Wheel of fate? What are you talking about??"     _The wheel of fate is turning. You can't struggle against it, Eiji Shinjo. None of you can. It is _their_ way. _They_ make it so. And they will prove to be powerful opponents in this battle. In the Toshindaibukai. It has been fortold in the future, which I and I alone can read. Something will happen, to set off a chain of unforgettable events, in which you and your allied friends must face a danger beyond anything any of you have ever seen._     "Danger? Stop speaking in riddles!! Who the hell are you??"     _Destiny approaches. And we approach destiny. You and your companions must be strong to win this battle of battles, the Toshindaibukai. I wish you luck, and I'll be watching._     And with that, the mists swirled up even higher and thicker than before, and the woman disappeared. Eiji's eyes widened, as her soft laughter echoed through the arena.     _I'll be watching..._

**********

    Eiji woke up.     "Hen na no yume..." he muttered to himself. "Just who was she? And what was she talking about?" But still, the dream caused him to reflect on what had happened in his past.     The words Sho had said to him kept coming back.     And his own words as well.     _Am I just the little brother, or am I something more? Was it destiny that gave me the sword? Am I fated to be a warrior too?_     Eiji had thought that to himself many times in the past three years.     He couldn't sleep. Maybe it was what Sofia said about Sho, or maybe it was the full moon making it so bright outside, or maybe it was that strange girl in his dream, but whatever it was, he just couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned a few times, then gave up and got out of bed. He needed to take a walk and think. Eiji pulled on his red-and- white battle kimono, picked up his sword-sheath, and quietly left, closing the door behind him.

**********

    Uranus was about to call it a night when one of the cameras showed Eiji getting up and leaving his cabin.     _Where is he off to at this time of night?_ she wondered suspiciously. _Well, no matter. Both Eiji and Kayin are alone now. The perfect chance._ Quickly, she had two groups of dark-clothed henchmen ready, one to capture Eiji, and the other to capture Kayin.     "And don't come back empty-handed!" Uranus ordered as she sent them off.

**********

    Eiji walked through the moonlit woods and tried to make sense of everything. He took out a picture of him and Sho, looking ever the pair of siblings, taken a few weeks before Sho left. There were too many questions, some of which were threatening to be left unanswered. Eiji knew his brother was somewhere at the tournament, but where? He certainly hadn't seen him around. And what was it about this whole tournament? It seemed harmless enough, so then why did he feel so uneasy about being here? And what if that girl was right, and something was going to happen? It seemed too much that there was always someone - or something - watching him...     Eiji's thoughts were interrupted by a soft rustling noise, a noise he distinguised as someone walking through the bushes. Eiji pulled out his sword, fiery ki starting to flare off it, jumped into the path of the other person, and started to call, "Rekku--"     At the same time, the other person had pulled out a pair of small knives glittering with yellow sparks and started to let out a defiant yell to match his. But for some reason, they both stopped. For a couple of seconds they just looked at each other. Then Eiji breathed a sigh of relief. He recognized the voice, and in the moonlight he could also see who it was, the pale light of the moon shining off of her silver heart locket.     "I take it you couldn't sleep either," Ellis said.     Eiji re-sheathed his sword. "No," he replied.     Ellis bit her lower lip, nodded slowly, then turned to walk away.     "Hey, wait!" Eiji said. "You want to...maybe...walk together?"     Ellis just stared at him for a second, then a slight smile slowly spread across her pretty young face. "Sure."     They walked in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing where to start or what to say, until Ellis noticed the picture Eiji was still holding.     "Who's that?"     "That's my brother, Sho," he found himself telling her. "The only other surviving member of my family. He's been missing for three years. I heard he was in this tournament, so I came to find him."     "Oh," said Ellis. She was quiet for a few seconds, and then said "I'm looking for the last remaining member of my family, too. My father. My mother died in an accident when I was three, and I have no other relatives. So I was taken in and raised by a group of travelling gypsy performers. I though my father had been killed as well, but then a few weeks ago I heard he was still alive, and had a connection to this tournament." Her fingers brushed the silver locket around her neck. "This locket was what my mother left me. My father has an identical one. A pair." She swallowed hard, then sighed. "But I don't know who I'm kidding. I don't even remember what he looks like. He could be anyone."     Eiji cast her a quick glance. "Well, hey, if it helps, I think that when you do meet your father, you'll know. I don't know how, I just know you will."     "Really?" Ellis looked at him with newfound respect. Then she coughed and said, "I'm sorry I kicked your ass yesterday - even if you did deserve it - and for crashing into you at the airport." She stopped and smiled. "It _is_ Eiji, isn't it?"     "Yeah. Please don't ask me what it means."     "All right, I won't. But really, I am sorry."     "And I'm sorry I yelled at you," Eiji said. "I guess I was just embarrassed at the fact that I was beaten by a girl, especially one younger than me."     "Look, Eiji-kun," Ellis said, "I know we got off to a bad start, but I'm willing to start over and let bygones be bygones. Truce?" She held out her hand.     Eiji thought for a second, then took her hand. "Okay, truce." They shook on it.     The happy moment was interrupted, however, by another, louder rustling in the bushes. Eiji turned--just in time to see several dark shapes jump out. It only him a second to guess what was going on.     "Ambush!" he yelled, but it was too late.     Their attackers jumped them in a matter of seconds.

**********


	6. Chapter Five: Attacked

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER FIVE: Attacked**   
  
**Translations:**  
_    ikuzou
_ - here I come / let's go etc. _    arigato
_ - thank you _    ikimasho
_ - let's go _    hai
_ - yes _    shimatta!
_ - dammit! _    yuke!
_ - go! _    nani
_ - what _    mochiron
_ - of course

  
**********

  
    In almost no time flat, their attackers, eight in all, had jumped them and had them pinned to the ground. All of a sudden, one of Ellis's Dirks started to glow and sparkle with flaring ki. In an instant, the Dirks spun and rocketed skyward, freeing Ellis from her assailants and knocking them over like tenpins. She ran over to where one of their captors had Eiji in a fierce hold. Ellis yelled, "Leave him alone, you bastards!" and delivered a hard roundhouse kick followed up by a slashing knife uppercut that sent the attacker flying. Eiji managed to toss one over his shoulder, which allowed him to get free and perform a Hishouzan, which scattered some more thugs. However, they weren't done yet. Their attackers were back on their feet and had the pair surrounded.     "Hmmm...eight to two." Eiji said to Ellis. "Not very good odds."     "Eiji-kun, one thing you should know about me is that I never believe in odds," Ellis replied. "If odds did exist, then I would have died with my parents that night. Hi-ya!"     With that, she jumped up in the air and flew around them once, leaving a bright trail of blue and yellow sparks that lit up the woods. "Ikuzou!!"     As soon as she landed she did a series of small, rhythmic slashes with both Dirks, four times in all, and finishing off by thrusting them forward and shouting, "French Kiss!!" In all, she managed to take out five assailants, three that had foolishly jumped into the air and two that had been slashed to the ground. Eiji took care of the other three, moving like lightening, knocking one out with a Rekkuzan, another with a Ryuseikyaku, and the third with another Hishouzan. It was all over in a few minutes. Only Ellis and Eiji were still moving, and the only sound they heard was their own heavied breathing.     "Well," said Ellis, exhaling. "I'm glad that's over with." She turned to Eiji. "You're a pretty good fighter, Eiji-kun. Never knew anyone before who could throw fireballs." She thought for a moment. "Then again, I never knew anyone with a sword before either. Except--" She stopped. "Never mind."     Disregarding the last part of what Ellis said, Eiji grinned. "Arigato, Ellis-chan. You're not bad yourself. Got quite a mean kick on you, and most people would think daggers that small wouldn't do much damage. Just what was that other move anyway?"     "Oh, that?" Ellis answered. "I call that the French Kiss. I don't use it very often. It's got a lot of power behind it, and maxes my ki out pretty fast." Ellis observed the chaos lying around her. "What was that all about anyway?" She pointed to the men lying on the ground.     "I don't know, but I don't think we should be around when they wake up." Eiji turned and motioned to Ellis. "Ikimasho!"     "Hai!"     They started to run back to Eiji's cabin. The only sound being heard in the dead of night was their hurried footsteps, and the moon almost seemed to be warning them with its bright glow. _It's not over yet._     Ellis ducked under low-hanging tree branch and tried to keep up with Eiji's running. "What I wouldn't give to know what is going on here!"     "You and me both!" Eiji called back. He jumped over a few fallen branches and kept moving. _I knew there was something up with this tournament. I knew it. But what about..._     On their way, they passed a cabin that had some strange bangs and thumps coming from inside it.     "...Kayin-chan!" gasped Eiji, finishing his thought.     Ellis got to the door first, but found that it wouldn't open.     "Shimatta!" Eiji swore under his breath.     "It's locked," she informed Eiji. "I take it that blond best friend of yours is involved in this too?"     "Obviously. We all are, then," Eiji pulled out his scabbard, and unsheathed the Byakko no Tachi. "We gotta try and break this door down."     Ellis grabbed her Dirks, and after whirling them around a couple of times for emphasis, she grasped them tightly and nodded in agreement. In unison, Eiji and Ellis began hacking away at the door. It was surprisingly strong; and it didn't look like it was going to give way anytime soon.     "Arc Slash!!"     "Shugekidan!!"     That did it.     Once they managed to get in, Eiji flicked on the light, and had just enough time to take in what was happening before three of the intruders rushed at him. There were only six guys in the group this time, but even though two of them were already unconcious, Kayin was still outnumbered. Though he was doing pretty good, he was having trouble taking on all of them. Kayin tossed one attacker into another, and Shoulder Crushed them before either could retaliate. He ducked the punch of another and hit them with a combination of a few kicks and slashes, and finished off with a Sonic Slash. Eiji went to help him while Ellis took care of the three who tried to attack them. He dashed over to his friend.     "Need some help?"     "Sure do, and you took your bloody time," Kayin replied. He had enough time, though, to grin smartly and add, "And lay off on the fancy Japanese. You know I was never good at languages, and it's been a while since I was in Japan."     "Sorry."     Eiji turned to help Ellis, but he saw he didn't have to. All three were sprawled out on the floor, each of them out cold, Ellis standing over them with a hard look on her face. Then they took a few minutes to fill in each other on what had happened. Kayin glanced at Ellis, and then back at his friend. "Ah...that's why you were late. Got a new girlfriend?"     "Shut _up_!"     According to Kayin, his attackers had entered a couple minutes after Eiji had left his cabin, and he and Ellis had arrived just in time.     "That's the second time tonight someone's been attacked," Ellis remarked. "Can't be a coincidence. What is going on here?"     "I'm beginning to think that feeling of yours was right about this place, Eiji," said Kayin. "Bloody consperacies. Just how are all of us involved in this anyway? And what do they want from us?"     "We'll try to figure it out in the morning," Eiji suggested. _Forget that dream. It would make me look crazy, even if these two are my friends._ "Right now it's late. And it's too dangerous to sleep here."     Eiji and Kayin spent the rest of the night on spare beds in Ellis's cabin. All three agreed on locking the doors and windows, and slept with their weapons close at hand, should anything happen again.

**********

    You can guess that Uranus was pretty upset when her men did come back empty-handed.     "I should've known better than to send incompetant fools like you up against two with _that_ kind of power!" she thundered. "Out of my sight! _Yuke!!_ Now!!!" When she was alone with Gaia, she said "Obviously I underestimated those two."     "Well, you weren't expecting that girl Ellis to intervene," Gaia added.     "No, you're right about that," Uranus replied. "Now we'll have to think of a better way to get those two, but how?" She thought for a few minutes, then got an idea. "I've got it. Let's give Eiji just what he's looking for."     "Nani?...You mean...?"     "Yes. Dare I say that this is perfect."     "There are still many things that could go wrong," Gaia replied seriously.     "That's a risk we'll just have to take. I will not lose the chance to get them on our side. I shall start making our plans right away."     "Very well. While you do that, I have some unfinished business to take care of."

**********

    "Did you tell him?"     "Yes. I did as you told."     "Good."     "Might I ask why?"     "He needs to know. Even if it was just a warning, he needs suspicions."     "I see. What if they do manage to find out what is going on?"     "Then they find out. Nothing's stopping them."     "Except for the Himitsu Kessha."     "Yes. But they can persevere. I have faith in them."     "We do make a good team, ne?"     "Indeed."     "But must we keep up this image of evil? Why not destroy the dark ones? We have enough power together to do so."     "We could. To do so, however, would alter destiny. It is not our destiny to destroy them. It is theirs. It is his."     "Mochiron. Fate would not allow it either."     "Let us just watch, and help where we can. We can only believe in them now."     "Yes. Let's watch."

**********


	7. Chapter Six: Jurisdiction

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER SIX: Jurisdiction**   
  


*********

  
    In the morning, after breakfast, Eiji, Kayin and Ellis gathered in Ellis's cabin to discuss the events of last night.     "Okay," Eiji began seriously. "Last night we were all attacked. I'm definately sure that was not part of the agenda."     "My, whatever gave you that idea?" muttered Kayin, who, like the rest of them, didn't get much sleep the previous night.     Eiji gave him an annoyed look and continued. "What we've got to determine is who would want to attack us, and why."     "One of the others contenders?" Ellis suggested thoughtfully.     "Doubtful," Kayin replied. "You're forgetting how many guys jumped us. I also doubt that any of the other contenders have that kind of power over that many people. Besides, everyone arrived alone, not with any of those guys--"     "--And no one else can get into the dorm area without their invitations," Ellis finished.     "Then perhaps it's someone associated with the tournament that has a higher authority," Eiji mused. "You know, like a leader. That kind of person would have no trouble ordering those henchmen to attack us. Still, that doesn't explain why."     "Maybe this whole tournament is a trap of some kind," Kayin replied carelessly. "They bring us here, put us to a test, see how good we do, and the ones they like best are captured or something. That would explain the attacks. I bet they were after you and I, Eiji, because we've fought already and probably impressed them. I bet they weren't even after you, Ellis. You were probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."     "That makes me feel better," Ellis said with a wry grin. "But now they'll probably be after me as well."     "Those are good theories," Eiji replied. "In fact, those are so good I bet you two are right. Come to think of it, we don't really know much about the company sponsoring this tournament, or the people who run it. You'd think that someone with the time and money to sponsor, finance and hold an event such as this would be able to afford some time to make an appearance every once and a while."     "You think they're hiding something, Eiji-kun?" Ellis asked. "Maybe behind the scenes?"     "Could be. And if you're right, than this is more serious than we thought. That means that once the other combatants have fought, the winners are likely to become targets too. And the next target might not be as lucky as we were!"     "Here's something else to think about," Kayin added. "Since we were all attacked around the same time, then whoever this leader is knew that you and I were alone. My bet is hidden cameras."     Ellis and Eiji both looked at him, confused. "Well, why not?" he demanded defensively. "There could be one in all the cabins, even this one. Maybe the arenas, too. That's how they'd be able to watch us fight and and maybe pick up some personal stuff on us. We use them in bounty hunting all the time. They really do work."     "We need to get to the bottom of this, and fast," concluded Eiji. "But in the meantime, I don't we should tell anyone else what's going on. If someone really is watching us, then the last thing we want to do is let them know we suspect something. Agreed?"     Ellis and Kayin nodded.     "We have to watch our backs. I think we've stumbled apon something bigger than we thought."

***************

    That afternoon, the three headed into one of the side arenas to watch the fight of the day, Chaos against Tracy. Tracy turned out to be the woman who had blown Kayin off the other day, and not much was known about Chaos.     "Who is that guy, anyway?" Ellis questioned once they were seated in the stands and watching the two opponents warm up. "He looks strange, and I didn't hear his name on the roll call list on the first day."     "I'm not sure either," answered Eiji thoughtfully. "Maybe he works for the behind-the- scenes syndicate. What do you think, Kayin-chan--"     Eiji stopped his sentence short when he saw that his best friend was slightly preoccupied-- being mobbed by a group of ecstatic young girls.     "Please, ladies, one at a time," Kayin was saying, clearly enjoying this bit of stardom. "And I should say that you all have such good taste, picking me over the rest of the fighters here..."     Eiji groaned, and turned back to Ellis. "Never mind him. He got sidetracked by his ego."     Ellis giggled. "Does that happen often?"     "More times than you could guess." Eiji laughed suddenly. "You should have seen him when we were training. My brother had the worst time--"     He stopped himself there, and exhaled sharply, annoyed with himself. "But that was the past. Sorry; I shouldn't bring it up again."     Ellis glanced at him. "Eiji-kun, what is all concern about your brother for? I mean, I can understand it, but if he's as good a fighter as you said he was, he should be all right, don't you think?"     Eiji sighed. "It isn't really that simple. You see-"     Before he could finish, Eiji was drowned out by the megaphone voice of the now-familiar announcer, calling out the match.     "Your fighters for tonight! TRACY and CHAOS!"     "So this is the guy I was sent here to fight?" Tracy taunted. "Ha! Let's just hope your moves are better than the way you dress!"     "Bout 1!" called the announcer. "FIGHT!"     Chaos didn't say a word, but rushed forward and slashed his machete-like weapon called a scythe across her chest. Tracy staggered back, wounded, then shouted, "Jackpot!" leaping back onto her arms and pushing herself through the air, flying at him almost horizontally, her feet hitting Chaos in the stomach and knocking him over. He then let forth a huge burst of green energy, catching her off guard and blasting her to the floor. Determined not to make another mistake, she jumped into a Pale Slider that sent Chaos crashing to the ground. Then, before he knew what was happening, Tracy, using an amazing amount of strength for one her size, picked him up and held him upside down. Then, still holding him, she spun upwards and then dropped down, slamming him to the ground headfirst. This move knocked him out, ending Round One to an explosion of cheers with Tracy as the victor.     In Bout Two, Tracy started out by slamming one of her tonfa rod weapons to the floor, creating a small projectile. The projectile missed, and Chaos counterattacked with a Grim Reaper which left Tracy reeling. She once again got up and moved closer, then shouted "Cardiac Arrest!" and thrust her tonfas forward. Tracy decided to finish off Chaos with her biggest attack, the Crazy Planet, which was made up of several normal kicks and punches, almost too fast to see, and also included a spin kick and a flip kick. The kicking and punching pushed Chaos close to the edge of the ring, and the flip kick knocked him off. As he fell, he actually yelled something, but Tracy couldn't hear what it was and neither could Eiji, Kayin or Ellis, who were watching from above. Chaos hit the hard stone floor and lay there, still and unmoving.     "Ring out. The winner--TRACY!"     As Eiji, Kayin and Ellis headed for the door of the arena a few minutes later, they found Tracy standing the doorway.     "Did ya like the fight?" she asked cockily. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you were here. I doubt security would like it."     "Those were some moves you did," Ellis said to her. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"     Tracy grinned. "Hey, I'm the best police officer in L.A. A girl's gotta know how to take care of herself. Besides, that guy hit me first. I fought in self-defense."     Eiji, Kayin and Ellis all laughed, previous anxiety forgotten for now, with Tracy joining in, pleased and proud of her victory.

**************

    Gaia had returned that morning just in time to catch the last part of the meeting that had been held in Ellis's cabin.     _Those three are on to us_, he thought to himself. They were getting too close, and something had to be done about them, but what? If he tried to destroy Eiji and Kayin, Ellis might try to interfere again, and end up getting hurt or killed herself. He didn't want anything to happen to her until he was certain of the truth. He would have his own plans for dealing with her, and nothing must interfere with that. Finally, he decided to wait and see what develops. And, it would probably be better if Uranusu wasn't told about this. With that in mind, Gaia turned and left the room.

**********


	8. Chapter Seven: Suspicions

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER SEVEN: Suspicions**   
  
**Translations:**     _nakama_ - friend, buddy     _sou ka_ - so then     _betsu ni_ - nothing     _masaka_ - impossible / it can't be

  


***********

  
    "Oh God, no."     "Oh God, yes. This is gonna be good."     "It's awfully mean."     "Well, how else are we going to bloody well wake him up? Sofia said she was going to be coming over soon, and he has to pick today to sleep in."     "He won't be too happy with us."     "So? He hasn't been happy with me for years. You get used to it."     "Kayin, _no_."     "Kayin, _yes_."     Eiji then felt himself being violently woken up from having a bucket of very cold water dumped on his head.     "Argh!!!" Eiji sat up quickly, shaking the droplets of water from the spikes of his hair. "Just what the hell did you do that for?"     Kayin was leaning against the bed, laughing. "Well, Eiji-chan, you're a pretty heavy sleeper. And Sofia just called up my cabin to let me know that she wanted to speak with us." He shrugged. "About what, I don't know. But she said she specifically wants you there. And so, Ellis and I," Kayin motioned behind him, where Ellis was standing in her normal street clothes, looking very guilty for taking part in this, "decided that it was rise-and-shine time for you, nakama."     Eiji gingerly tried to dry his hair off with a nearby blanket. "And you had to do it with a bucket of water over the head, didn't you?"     Kayin grinned devilishly. "Hey, what are friends for?"     "I tried to stop him, Eiji-kun," Ellis said from behind him, "but he's very stubborn."     "I've known that for a long time, Ellis-chan," Eiji said, finally getting out of bed. He picked up his jacket off of a chair and pulled it on. He glanced at his best friend curiously. "Just how did you two get in, anyway?"     Ellis looked even more guilty. Kayin smiled. "I picked the lock."     "You WHAT??"     "I said, I picked the lock. We bounty hunters have to do that sort of thing, you know."     "You moron! What if I had been sleeping naked or something?"     "Then Ellis would have had a good time looking. But it wouldn't be at much, of course."     "Oh, my," Ellis said, blushing and looking away hastily.     "That's it! I'm really starting to hate you, Kayin-chan!" With that, Eiji sprung at Kayin and knocked him over. The two laughed, tussling on the floor with some mild joking insults, Ellis just giggling at them. But then, behind the three, there was an "Ahem."     Eiji and Kayin stopped. Ellis turned.     Standing tall in the doorway, wearing a black leather jacket with gold buckles over top of her black leather bodysuit, in all her full glory, was Sofia. She regarded the scene in a state of interest: Eiji soaked and wrestling with Kayin on the floor, and Ellis standing by. Sofia smiled and shook her head.     "I see we have a long way to go."

***********

    Later on that morning, the group decided to check over Ellis's cabin. Sofia told them that she used to be a secret agent for the KGB, so she knew a lot about bugged rooms and the like. They all agreed that the only way to watch the three of them was with hidden cameras. They walked up to Ellis's cabin, and Ellis tersely unlocked the door. The four of them (Eiji, Kayin, Sofia, and Ellis) stepped into the small room, and glanced around.     "I don't see anything," Kayin commented.     "Of course you would not. I do not honestly think that the Himitsu Kessha would plant cameras that were visible," Sofia shot back.     Okay, okay," Kayin muttered, the master of insults insulted.     Hey, wait a sec," Eiji said, turning to Sofia. "What's the Himitsu Kessha?"     Sofia looked surprised. "You do not know?"     Eiji shook his head. "None of us do."     Sofia sighed. "No, I suppose you would not. The Himitsu Kessha is--"     "'Secret organization'?" Eiji questioned, fluently translating the Japanese. Sofia regarded him for a second before continuing.     "Yes, they are the ones who..." Sofia seemingly stopped herself there. "No. If this room is set with cameras or the like, then this is not the time or place to be telling all of you this."     "All right. We'll wait, I guess," Ellis said quietly.     "So," questioned Kayin," where do you think those cameras would be hidden?"     "Huh. And here I thought you would have a faint idea, bounty hunter," Sofia answered.     _What...?_ Kayin thought suspiciously. _How did she know that I'm a bounty hunter...??_     Meanwhile, Sofia was back to surveying the room carefully. "If someone were to hide a camera in here, they'd hide it in a spot where it would be the least likely to be seen. Also, the camera would have to be very small. The smaller the camera, the less chance someone would notice it." As the others watched, Sofia began to look the room over very carefully. Finally, she exclaimed, "Ah! Found it!" She motioned them over to the window, and pointed out a tiny camera that was inserted in a small hole in the window frame. Ellis frowned. "What a breach of privacy."     Kayin grinned slyly. "I hope you never undressed in here, Ellis."     "Ewwww!!" Ellis cried indignately. "That's SO bad. And thank you ever so much for putting the idea in my head, Kayin."     "That's what I'm here for."     Ellis ignored him. "Mind if I take care of it, Sofia?"     Sofia nodded approvingly. "Be my guest."     "Thank you." And with that, Ellis whirled out one of her Dirks, and with a short cry, threw it at the camera with deadly accuracy. The pointed end hit right on target, burying itself in the lens. There were a couple of sparks and a small pow, then silence. A little wisp of smoke appeared, then faded away. Ellis grinned, satisfied. "That's what they get for trying to spy on me."     "Sou ka. It looks like our suspicions are turning out to be right after all," Eiji murmured, as Ellis pulled her dagger from the wall. Sofia nodded in agreement, and Eiji continued. "Now what we need to find out is what our opponent's next move is going to be. That's not looking to be easy, considering we don't know who they are or what they want from us."     "I could help you with that," Sofia said. "I think it is safe now to tell you who they are, and just what we are up against."     "All right. Let's hear it."     I will start by telling you that they call themselves 'the Himitsu Kessha'. As you said earlier, Eiji, yes, they are a secret organization. They are an underworld crime syndicate, investing in almost anything that is illegal. They have soldiers, henchmen, guards, warriors...a veritable army. But what they are looking for most are new fighters who will work for them--as assassins, most likely. That is why they hold the tournaments of Toshindaibukai. They are searching for more warriors."     "And if the fighters don't want to work for them...?" Kayin asked. Sofia's eyes flashed.     "Then they make them."     Eiji, Kayin, and Ellis exchanged glances. They all now had a pretty good feeling as to what was going on. "Please, Sofia, continue."     "Very well. As I said before, they hold these tournaments to find warriors who suit their requirements. However, most of the time, they do not expect fighters like ourselves to interfere by finding out more than they should know." She paused here. "A while back, I was sent to retrieve information on the Himitsu by my superiors at the KGB. I was foolish. I underestimated them. The Himitsu Kessha captured me, and they..." Sofia took a deep breath. "They erased all of the memories of what I had seen there, including the memories of my past as well."     Eiji and Kayin tried to hide their surprise, but Ellis moved towards Sofia and put a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Sofia."     Sofia smiled ruefully. "It is all right. I am over mourning now." She looked up, eyes flashing again, only angrily this time. "Now I want revenge. I want to stop them from corrupting the world. And I want to find out if it is possible to retrieve my memories. For you see, the present is hollow without the past."     Eiji looked down. "I could understand it. Some memories may be bitter, but at least they're real."     "That they are, Eiji. That they are."     Kayin stood up. "Well, the next move is up to them. But I'd say that we're a lot better prepared now that we know just who and what we're fighting against."     "That's true," Ellis added. "And there's only two more matches left on the schedule. Maybe we could wait and see what happens."     Sofia nodded. "I would recommend that over doing anything rash. And I have a match today. Soon, actually. You may all come and watch for anything strange, if you wish."     They all agreed, but Eiji, in the meantime, was lost in his thoughts. _So...it looks like the worst is yet to come. Something's going to happen after all the matches are done with...but I don't know what. And if the Himitsu Kessha was looking for fighters, and niisan came here and never came back, then that means..._ Eiji stopped right there._ No. I won't let myself think like that. It's not possible. I know it's not._     "Eiji-kun?" Ellis said quietly, touching his hand. "Are you all right? You look like you're lost or something."     "Huh? Oh, betsu ni, Ellis-chan. I was just thinking, that's all."     Ellis looked at him, concerned. "Eiji-kun, if there's anything wrong, please tell me."     _Masaka..._     Eiji thought long and hard about this, about her question, about his own suspicions, about what may have happened, about the truth...     "No, Ellis-chan. Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

*********

    Uranus stalked into the control room to find Gaia trying to fix one of the controls on the computers. Something was also wrong with one of the screens. Instead of the normal picture, there was nothing but static and whiteness.     "Camera 3 has gone off," Gaia said, "and I can't bring it back. It appears that it was smashed by something."     "Just how could that have happened, Gaia?" Uranus demanded. "All of our cameras were precisely hidden. No one could have found them. What could have broken it?"     "Either the camera was hit by some sort of flying object, or someone found it and destroyed it."     "Eiji Shinjo and Kayin Amoh," Uranus realized. "It has to be those two. I knew I shouldn't have let them get away the other night, curse them!" She thought for a second. "Whose cabin was that camera in?"     "The cabin of the girl Ellis."     "Hm. I've seen her with those two. It's very possible that she's joined forces with them. They all know too much. She'll have to be eliminated, the sooner the better."     "Ellis hasn't fought yet. It might raise suspicions if she doesn't show up for battle," Gaia countered quickly. "Besides, if we were to destroy them now, we'd be throwing away the old plan. And judging by how she did against the men who attacked her and Eiji, I'd say we have another potentially good fighter who could join us."     "That's an interesting idea. We can't try anything that might jeopardize the plan. I shall wait until after I see how the other fighters do. Then the plan shall be put into action," Uranus said.     "And are we sure that he will be able to do it?" Gaia asked.     "Of course," Uranus replied. "He has agreed to it. And in the most unlikely case of his failure, I will take care of them all myself, starting with the insulent Eiji and Kayin!"     Uranus turned and walked out of the control room, wings folded. Gaia watched her leave, then turned back to the computers.     _Fortunately, I have my own plans for Ellis and her friends,_ Gaia thought to himself with a small smile, hidden by his armour. _And it won't be long before I get the chance to put my plans into action. Not long at all._

***********

    Early that evening, the trio of Eiji, Kayin, and Ellis went over to Sofia's arena to see her fight Mondo, the Yaki-Clan warrior that Eiji and Kayin had seen on the first day. The three took seats in the crowded spectator stands, and had a small discussion before the fight started.     "All right," Eiji began, "keep your eyes out for anything suspicious. They may know that we're onto them by now, and as Sofi-san said earlier, they already know her, so they may be wary of this fight."     "No doubt they're watching us right now," Kayin grumbled. "Dammit, I hate spies."     "And right now they're probably hating us for interfering, or at least we're going to," Ellis added. "But we can't give up."     "Whatever happens now, it's beyond our reach," Eiji said calmly. "We're just going to have to take it when it comes."     Kayin nodded. "Got it."     Ellis grinned. "Yep."     Eiji smiled amiably, and turned around to see Sofia and Mondo getting warmed up on the floor of the battle arena. "I guess now we see how good a fighter our new friend is."     Down on the floor, the two opponents were engaging in some pre-match conversation.     "I have never fought a woman before," Mondo was stating in a calm, quite voice. "It is dishonourable."     "Oh, you silly ninjas and your fool honour," Sofia replied carelessly. "When it comes to fighting, I am more than just a simple woman. Would you care to find out how much more?"     "Very well. If you wish to fight me, so be it. But I warn you, you're not getting in my way!"     "Hmph. That is fine. Better watch your fingers. This rose has thorns."     "Bout One! FIGHT!!"     Sofia was determined not to let what she knew about the tournament keep her from winning. For now, it didn't matter that the Himitsu was probably watching her. All Sofia wanted now was her victory. She rolled forwards, then came up shouting "Rattlesnake!!", as snapped her whip out in front of her multiple times with blinding speed. However, Mondo had managed to deftly leap backwards out of the way in time. As he was in the air, Mondo hefted his spear up, then brought it down, a large fireball shooting out from it. "Goriki Raijin!!"     Sofia quickly dashed to the left, but the fireball had brushed her side. She smiled, and curled her whip then cracked it forwards, releasing a pulsing energy ring. "Thunder Ring!!"     Mondo was just coming down from his jump and had no time to block. Then, before he could try anything else, Sofia rushed over, dropped her whip, grapped Mondo's collar, lifted him off the ground and started slapping him across the face. Her assault ended with a ferocious high kick to the face. Mondo hit the ground, and Sofia calmly strode over, ready to execute another attack. But instead, Mondo rolled backwards and slid his spear under her arm. He then proceeded to lift Sofia into the air, and finally slammed her into the ground. Sofia sprung back up quickly, and decided to go for it. She began to do a mockery of a pirouette with her whip trailing in wide circles around her, smacking Mondo in the face over and over again. He fell to the floor, seemingly not getting up anytime soon. Bout One was awarded to Sofia.     Bout Two, however, was different. Mondo was determined to make up for his earlier loss, and so he opened up the fight. He yelled "Goriki Fujin!!" and started whirling her spear in blinding circles in front of him. Sofia tried to block, but was distracted by the crowd and got pounded with part of the defensive attack. Then, before Sofia could recover, Mondo cocked backwards, then thrust his spear out towards her, hitting Sofia in the stomach. Sofia was growing weary of his games, and tossed a few more Thunder Rings at him before finally deciding, _All right. I suppose this is where we do it._     With that, Sofia gathered her ki, and started to spin around in what could almost be her Aurora Revolution, except this time she was surrounded by shimmering blue sparks.     Mondo decided hastily to jump backwards.     That was not a good choice.     "CALL ME QUEEN!!"     Sofia rose up horizontally in the air and managed to knock him out with such force that the ninja hit the floor--and didn't get up until the Bout Two win was announced to Sofia, with her friends cheering in the stands.     "I _do_ so hope we get to do this again sometime," Sofia said as Mondo started to get up in disgrace. "I am always willing to fight. Anytime, anywhere!"

**********


	9. Chapter Eight: Entrance

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER EIGHT: Entrance**   
  
**Translations:**     _ganbatte-ne_ - good luck     _gomenasai_ - I'm sorry [polite]     _mina-san_ - everyone [polite] 

  


*************

  
    The next and final battle wasn't until twenty-four hours after Sofia's, and it was scheduled to be between Ellis and Rungo, the big man with the giant club. With a little help from Eiji and Kayin, Ellis used her free time to get some sparring practice beforehand.     It was about a little less than an hour before the match started, and Ellis was staring at her reflection in a mirror. She had changed into her gypsy dancing costume for the first time at the tournament, baggy translucent-white chiffon sleeves and leggings that met in pink-striped cuffs at her ankles and wrists, the sleeves and pants attached to a white bodysuit with pink trim. The collar around her neck was an elaborant one: dark cherry-pink highlighted by many small blue jewels of some sort, the largest one set in the middle. On her feet were a pair of pink and white dancing slippers. Her double-edged Dirks lay on the dresser beside her, but instead of practicing some more, Ellis was taking this time to think about her mission, and just what may come of it, as well as how far she had come from the sweet young girl she used to be.     _Hey, little girl,_ she thought to her reflection while applying a light layer of frosty pink lipstick. _So, are you me? Are you really a warrior now? Or are you just that passive innocent little gypsy girl?_ She cast her eyes downwards. _Just who am I? And what am I supposed to be?_ Ellis picked out a thick pink ribbon from her suitcase and pulled it around her waist, tying it in a large bow at the back. _I guess I'm used to all this violence by now. But I still get scared. I'm only a teenager. I've lost my innocence too soon._ A tinge of pink entered her cheeks. _And Eiji-kun...it's so strange, we're so far apart in age, but still...he means something to me. I'm not going to let him down._ She opened a small box that she had taken out of her suitcase and just looked at the contents. In it was her small silver heart locket, dangling on a delicate chains of links. Ellis held it up to the light, watching it sparkle and dance. She sighed. _My mission...is to find my father. And I'm not giving up now. I never give up._ Ellis looped the chain around her neck, attaching the clasp at the back. She then tucked the necklace and locket under her jewelled collar, straightened her emerald-green hair, and smiled faintly at herself. _Father, I will find you, I swear it._     A knock at the door brought Ellis out of her thoughts. She curiously went over to the door, and opened it. Standing before her was Eiji.     "Oh! Eiji-kun, hi," Ellis greeted him happily, quick to recognize her friend.     "I, uh, just wanted to wish you luck," Eiji quietly said. "Hey, you look great. That's an awesome costume."     "Thanks, how nice of you! Please, come in," Ellis let Eiji in and closed the door. "Thank you for the extra practice. Thank Kayin for me too. I really did need it."     Eiji smiled. "You're a great fighter. I know you'll do well out there tonight."     "I sure hope so," Ellis answered half-heartedly. She strode over to the window and looked out into the approaching dusk. "But still, Eiji-kun, there's no way to tell what's coming next. They're after us. And who knows what's going to happen. It'll just be us four against what could be a huge army." Ellis paused and turned to look at Eiji. "I never told anyone this, but after that night when we were attacked, I've been scared. And--and I know I shouldn't be. I'm a fighter now. But I'm still practically a kid. And I don't have that much confidence in myself right now. I...I don't know how much use I'll be, to you and the others."     Eiji calmly walked over to her and tilted her chin upwards. "Ellis-chan, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. We're here for you. You know that, don't you?"     "Eiji-kun, I..." Ellis started, but she stopped when she saw the trusting look on Eiji's face.     "No matter what happens, I'll be there to watch over you. I'll protect you. I promise."     Ellis' eyes widened, and for a second she thought she was going to cry. Eiji turned and headed towards the door. He opened the door and looked back at Ellis. "We're all meeting at my cabin in five minutes. We have to discuss how the four of us are going to handle this." He winked and saluted her. "Ganbatte-ne, Ellis-chan."     With that, Eiji left the cabin, slowly closing the door behind him. Ellis just stood there for a second, staring. She almost did cry right then and there. But she stopped herself, picked up her daggers, and headed out.     _Keep standing firm, Ellis._

*************

    "Everyone's here," Eiji stated, glancing around the room at the group of allied friends. Kayin was leaning against the wall, looking almost uninterested in his typical way, Sofia was sitting on a chair turned backwards, and Ellis was perched sitting on top of a table. They were all in their battle costumes, with their weapons either sheathed or at their sides. Eiji nodded. "I just wanted to talk to all of you about what we're going to do."     "I personally think we don't have much of a chance," Kayin muttered, eyes closed. "It's us four rebels against an organization that wants to either enslave us or kill us. We're good fighters, but hell, they're probably better."     "Kayin-chan, you're such a pessimist. That's not known for sure," Eiji pointed out. "We may be able to take them."     "Just how do we know that they're going to be coming after us?" Ellis asked. "Do we know that for sure?"     Eiji shook his head. "I just have this feeling."     "Eiji is very much correct," Sofia commented for the first time that night. "From all of my encounters with the Himitsu Kessha, I know for a fact that they do not like fighters who defy them. At previous tournaments, no one has been able to defeat their champions."     Eiji stared. "What? Champions?"     Sofia nodded slowly. "Yes, champions. At the end of every Toshindaibukai, the Himitsu brings out their greatest warriors to challenge the survivors of the tournament." Her eyes narrowed. "We have been the only victors thus far. Let us just say they will not be, how you say, rolling out the red carpet for us once the final scheduled match is over, perhaps even before we start into the elimination rounds between us."     "What do you mean?" Kayin spoke out. "That there are more fights after the last one?"     "Exactly."     "Damn."     Ellis was very quiet. She had the next match, which was also the last one. She had to move fast now, if she wanted to find her father.     The group exchanged glances, knowing fully well what must be done. Kayin shrugged. "So, Eiji-chan, you're practically our leader. What are we gonna do? Fight them against impossible odds or back down?"     Eiji stood silent for a moment, then pounded his fist against the table in determination. "No. We're gonna show them what happens when they mess with us."     Ellis and Sofia both looked up, surprised. Kayin looked satisfied. Eiji continued, "Whatever happens, we're in this together. We're all too caught up in this to escape now. And we're not backing down. We're not giving up. Not without a fight!" Eiji grinned and held up a fist. "We're gonna kick some ass!"     "That's right!" Ellis cried. "We're going to teach them a lesson for everything they've done!!"     Sofia rose from her chair. "I agree, yes! It is better to go down fighting than to yield!"     "If we don't stop them, who will?" Kayin added, nodding in agreement. "So everything's in our hands now. We're gonna give them a fight they ain't never gonna forget, goddammit!!"     Eiji did nothing but put out his hand, palm facing down. Kayin smiled and put his hand on top of his best friend's. Ellis and Sofia followed. Eiji then simply said his final comment.     "We know what's needed to be done. It's all up to us now."     With that, the four turned and headed towards the door together. Eiji reached out to open it, but instead, it was opened for him.     From the outside.     Tracy.     "Well, well, kids," she commented, "I heard everything and it looks like you're goin' out to do some ass-kickin' without me. That's not very nice." She gave all of them a warning look. "And don't give me any of that "you wouldn't understand" bullshit. I've been doing some research of my own, and I have just as good an idea as all of you have as to what's goin' on here." Eiji simply smiled. He glanced at the others. Their looks spoke for themselves. They needed as many allies as possible now. "Gomenasai, Tracy-san. We're going to destroy the Himitsu Kessha. Want to come?"     "Thought you'd never ask, Eiji. Let's get our asses in gear. Me n' the rest of the force have been wanting to arrest these guys for a long time now."     Joined with the newest member of their team, the five headed off towards the battle arena, ready for the oncoming war.

*************

    The group arrived at the main arena just in time. Ellis clutched her daggers, took a deep breath, and smiled at her friends. "Well, everyone, looks like it's my turn now. Wish me luck!" After her friends offered words of encouragement and took seats in the stands, Ellis turned and walked onto the floor of the arena, and began to warm up, practicing various slashes and kicks in rapid succession. She only stopped when she found Rungo towering over her small frame. He looked down on her for a second, then started the conversation.     "Girls don't belong here. Go home, kid." To this, Ellis solemnly replied, "I can't. I must go on."     "I have a son your age. How do you think I'd feel if he were in your place?"     "I understand. But I'm not giving up now. My friends need me."     And my family needs me too. All right. Here's to a good fight, girl." Rungo offered a huge hand, which Ellis took gratefully. "And to you."     Ellis and Rungo squared off and took up their stances.     "Mina-san, welcome to the final fight of the Toshindaibukai! Your match for tonight: RUNGO IRON versus ELLIS!! Bout One! FIGHT!!"     Rungo started the fight by bashing his club to the ground with a yell of "Fire Wave!!", releasing a large wave of fire that caught Ellis offguard. She quickly recovered and lept in for her Screw Dancing, which hit neatly and impressively. She followed up with a combination of two slashes to the middle, two kicks to the gut, two slashes to the shin, and and uppercut that sent Rungo flying. He came back fast, though, and unleased another Fire Wave that pushed Ellis towards the brink of the ring. However, Ellis herself didn't notice how close she was to the edge until she took a step backwards--and her foot slipped.     "Ellis-chan!!" Eiji called from the crowd, concerned.     Fortunately, it wasn't a long fall, and Ellis wasn't seriously hurt. She nodded at Eiji to let him know that she was okay. Bout One went to Rungo, thanks to the ring out.     Ellis prepared for Bout Two, resolving to herself not to make that foolish mistake again. And besides, she now knew the trick to taking Rungo down. He was a projectile-thrower. Every time she got too far away, he'd launch Fire Waves at her. Therefore, she needed to move closer and stay there, where her speed had a definate advantage over his.     Ellis somersaulted through the air, landing on her feet in front of her opponent and performing a spectacular Flaming Crescent uppercut that slashed Rungo in the jaw. Unfortunately for her, though, Rungo recovered and bashed her with his club while she was coming down, then grabbed her and headbutted her in the face. This time, however, Ellis rolled forwards and began one of her deadliest combos. Two quick slashes to the stomach, two long hard slashes to the same spot, a slide to the knees, two more quick slashes, an uppercut, then a Flaming Crescent. But then, as she was about to strike the final blow to a very beat Rungo, a buzzer sounded, and the announcer declared, "TIME OVER!!"     "Damn!" Ellis growled in annoyance. She felt better, however, when she was declared the winner for landing more hits and taking away more energy. Now the fighters were tied at one match each, so a third bout was called to break the tie.     As soon as the last round started, Ellis took to the air and dove towards Rungo yelling "Arc Slash!!", releasing a large explosive fireball from her daggers when it hit. When she landed, she headed back into the combo she had used last time, adding some kicks as well as more low slashes. Finally, once Rungo was almost out for the count, Ellis pooled her ki and started into an amazing attack. Surrounded by yellow and blue sparks, she went from Flaming Crescent to Screw Dancing to Arc Slash to a final cry of "Goodnight Baby!!" and letting a sparkling blast explode from her Dirks. Rungo was clearly out. Ellis was awarded the final victory, much to the delight of the audience and her friends both.     After it was over, Ellis ran over and helped her opponent up, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used that strong an attack."     "Hey, kid, it's all right. It worked fine. I'm tougher than that," was Rungo's answer when he got up. "You're pretty strong for a little girl. Plus you've got guts and determination. You'll be all right."     "Thank you." Then, as an afterthought, Ellis asked, "But what about you? What will you do now?"     "I'm going to try a different route to find my family," Rungo replied. "But no more fighting kids, I'll tell you that. Good luck."     "I will do my best."     On the outskirts of the arena, Ellis found Eiji and Kayin waiting for her, soon joined by Sofia and Tracy.     "A terrific fight, Ellis-chan, one of the best I've seen," Eiji congratulated with a proud smile.     "You're hurt!" Kayin interjected. "Are you all right?"     When Rungo had swung his club at Ellis, he had hit her in the arm with a sharp part of the weapon. There was a jagged tear in the right sleeve of her outfit, and a long gash in her arm, right below her shoulder. Crimson blood was starting to seep out of it.     "I can take it," Ellis reassured the others. "It's not that deep, really."     Changing the subject quickly, Ellis added, "Well, that was the last fight on the schedule, and the crowds have all left. Now I guess we find what we were looking for."     No sooner had she said this when the lights flickered and went out. The five fighters all drew their weapons and automatically took up defensive stances. When the lights came back on, more dimly this time, another figure had appeared on the battle arena floor. He was huge, his size practically dwarfing all of them, and was covered in a set of black armour, with two long claw-tipped appendages attached to his back that were waving slightly in the air. His face was very much shrouded, and in one hand he held a huge double-edged sword.     "Who are you?" Eiji yelled.     "I am Gaia, the organizer of this tournament," was the answer, in a deep booming tone.     "Gaia...you are the Head of the Himitsu Kessha!" Sofia exclaimed after some thought. "I have much to ask you!"     "Right!" agreed Kayin. "I need to know who the champion of last year's tournament was!"     "Where's your organization's hideout?" challenged Tracy.     "And where is my brother?" Eiji snarled.     Gaia simply, but slowly, shook his head. "Too many questions. And I am not to answer them."     "What??" The four were shocked and angry. Ellis simply stood at the back, silent. She had a quiet suspicion, but one nonetheless.     Gaia continued, "I have come to challenge the winners of the Toshinden tournament rounds. You five are the survivors of the Toshindaibukai. Now you have to fight me to determine the champion."     They all exchanged glances, trying to decide who should start, but Eiji stepped forward. "Fair's fair. I'll fight first."     But Gaia shook his head again. "I shall choose the person whom I will fight. And I choose the young girl. Ellis."

**********


	10. Chapter Nine: Challenger

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER NINE: Challenger**   
  
**Translations:**     _-chan_ - honourific used for children or close friends     _niisan_ - informal version of oniisan; elder brother     _ikuzou_ - let's go 

  


************

  
    Ellis was shocked for a moment. _Me? Why challenge me?_ she thought, confused. She started to say something, but Eiji stepped protectively in front of her.     "No way!" he angrily shouted at Gaia. "You'll have to beat me first!"     "Eiji-kun," Ellis said quietly, "let me try. I can beat him."     Eiji looked unsure. "But, Ellis-chan, I--"     Ellis shook her head. "No. I'm not going to learn anything from having my friends fight my battles. I'm going to do this."     "Yes, Eiji," Sofia added. "Let her try. Even the unexpected can bring about surprises."     Defeated, Eiji finally said "All right. Ellis-chan, be careful."     Ellis smiled. "You know I will, Eiji-kun." Slowly, bravely, she turned to face the massive and feared Gaia. "I accept your challenge."     The rest of the fighters filed off the arena to the sidelines, as Ellis and Gaia squared off on opposite sides of the arena. Gaia regarded the petite girl in front of him with some interest.     "You have come this far for a reason," Gaia said. "What is that reason?"     "To--to find my father," Ellis replied, her confidence never wavering.     "That may not happen."     "Maybe not. But that's why I'm here."     "Bout One! FIGHT!!"     Ellis opened up by leaping into the air and performing her Homing Swallow attack, spinning into a dizzying set of somersaults and leaving a trail of blue fire like a comet. She landed on her feet with ease behind Gaia, and proceeded into her Flaming Crescent, digging into the back of his heavy armour. Gaia recovered quickly and, while Ellis was coming down from the air, counterattacked with a Devil's Explosion, the fist of hyperkinetic energy slamming into Ellis and knocking her to the ground. Ellis sprang back up quickly and took a defensive stance. Gaia lashed a series of explosive fireballs at her from his upper appendages, but Ellis managed to cartwheel out of the way just in time. She dashed into her knee slide, followed by two slashes to the shin, an uppercut, and finally, another Flaming Crescent, knocking Gaia onto his back for a K.O. Ellis's audience cheered, and even Ellis looked pleased with herself. However, Bout Two proved to be another story. Gaia seemed to get a second wind, and launched a Devil's Fist at Ellis with no time for her to avoid it, the flaming projectile ripping into her defenses and blasting her backwards off her feet. Gaia fired another Super Sting at Ellis, but this time she dashed forwards and ducked under the string of fireballs. Ellis jumped up, and shot towards Gaia calling, "ARC SLASH!", her Dirks releasing a blast of fire on contact. Gaia was knocked back a few paces but retaliated by slashing at her with his enormous sword and whacking her with one of his appendage's claws. He lauched his Super Sting for a third time, and this time it didn't miss. Ellis was pounded to the floor, almost at a knock-out. She waited for the final blow, but was surprised to see that it didn't come.     "What the _hell_ is that sonofabitch doing!?!" seethed Eiji in the stands. "If he hurts her anymore than he already has, I swear I'll cut him open myself!!"     Tracy nodded in enthuasiastic agreement. "I'm with ya, Shinjo. I'd like to be part of the ass-kickin' too. Who knows how much more the kid can take?"     "No," said Sofia, shaking her head. "We have to believe in Ellis. We all know she can do it if she tries."     "I suppose," replied Eiji half-heartedly. He glanced out onto the arena floor again. _Ellis-chan, ganbatte!_     "Why don't you just get it over with?" Ellis was confusedly asking. "What are you waiting for?"     But Gaia didn't move or answer. He simply waited until the time expired, and he was declared the winner of Bout Two.     Up in the spectator stands, Eiji suddenly felt that now-familiar feeling--he was being watched. He turned around and saw a tall, dark figure standing in the shadows near the door, regarding the fight--and the other fighters--intently. Unfortunately, Eiji was unable to get a good look at the figure, and turned to see if any of the others had seen the mystery spectator. The other three seemed to be absorbed in the fight and hadn't noticed at all. Eiji looked again to see if the dark silhouette was still there, but no, whoever it was had disappeared into the shadows. Eiji turned back to the fight, but something important that he couldn't quite get ahold of nagged at him. It was something about the way the figure was standing...carelessly, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, sword-sheath dangling from his hip...his _sword-sheath??_ Eiji's eyes flew open, and he whipped around quickly to see if he could spot where the shadow-spectator had gone. He couldn't, but the realization he just made had left him breathing hard and shaking inside._ It couldn't have been..._     Meanwhile, Bout Three, the tiebreaker, had begun. Ellis vowed to herself silently that she _would_ win this fight, and find her father, or go down in the attempt. However, it was clear that getting past this fight was going to be a problem. She couldn't go on forever, and everyone, including her tough opponent, knew this. _Still_, Ellis decided, _I have to try_. She ran in close, and started into her Goodnight Baby super-special attack, leaping into a fiery, flashy combination of her normal special moves. Gaia was caught offguard, hitting the ground with an loud clang. He rose off the ground slowly and launched another Devil's Fist at Ellis, but she was ahead of him and landed a number of kicks and slashes for a combo of about nine hits. Gaia was knocked to the side, but then started into his Ultra Desperation Attack, his sword whirling and slicing through the air, Ellis with it. Stumbling from the hard-hitting move, Ellis tried to get up but fell again. One more hit, and she'd lose. It seemed that Gaia was going to let the time run out again. Suddenly Ellis heard Eiji shout to her.     "Ellis-chan! Use your French Kiss!"     Ellis considered her options. Of course, there were no others. She would have to try this as a last resort. Fueled by her confidence in herself and the desire to find her father, Ellis launched into her French Kiss. Holding one Dirk back, she gathered her ki and leapt into the air, shouting "IKUZOU!!". Bursting into an explosive ball of blue and yellow flame, she circled around Gaia, slicing him as she went. As soon as she landed in front of him, she slashed him several times over and over again. Then, to finish the assault off, she cried "FRENCH KISS!!" and slammed her sparkling daggers into Gaia.     Gaia fell to the floor.     And didn't get back up.     "The winner--ELLIS!!"     Ellis swayed for a second and nearly collapsed herself. Eiji and Kayin rushed to the floor to help her, Sofia and Tracy right behind them.     "Are you going to be okay?" Eiji asked.     "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be fine," she answered weakly.     Meanwhile, Gaia had gotten up and came over to them. "You fight very well," he said to Ellis in his monotone voice. "You'll make a fine champion someday."     Ellis didn't answer. She was too busy focusing her attention on something that had dropped to the floor during the fight. A silver heart locket. Identical in every way to hers.     "Y-You have the same locket as me," Ellis said in disbelief. She held up her own locket for evidence. "The same one my mother gave me. Are...Are you my father?"     For a brief moment, Gaia thought about telling her. In the end, he decided not to. He didn't want her to see him like this.     "I have no daughter," he answered gruffly. "My daughter died in a car accident when she was very young."     "My mother died in an accident as well!" Ellis exclaimed. "But I survived. And here I am. I have the same locket as you. You must be my father!"     Gaia did not reply, but instead turned to Eiji. "You, Eiji Shinjo, are the leader of this group, am I correct?"     "Well, uh..." Eiji started, confused. "Yeah, I guess."     Gaia looked amused. "We at the Himitsu Kessha do not usually see fighters find out as much as you five have."     "Well, get used to it, pal," Tracy broke in, annoyed. "We ain't the normal group of stupid fighters you get here."     Gaia shook his head. "No. You are different. You may spell the end of us...Uranusu knows it as well."     "Uranusu?" Eiji questioned, quickly thinking back to his fight against Duke. "Is that Uranus?"     Gaia did not answer that question, but instead, looked long and hard at Eiji. "You came here for your brother, didn't you?"     Eiji was taken aback. "Yes...I did. Why? What do you know about it?"     Gaia snickered, but then fell silent. "Your brother works for us now. If you know what's wise, you will leave now. We are getting angry. And soon your time will run out. Even you, Eiji Shinjo, cannot defeat your brother. The end is coming. Only destruction awaits."     Eiji didn't say anything. He was too shocked. Kayin decided to take this opportunity. "If you know that then, tell me this: Who was the winner of the tournament last year?"     "You idiot boy," Gaia replied. "You and Eiji are looking for the same person."     "What?" Kayin said. "What do you mean--" Suddenly he realized what Gaia meant. "No..."     "You cannot get away with this, Gaia," Sofia interrupted. "We will destroy your organization."     "Yeah!" Tracy joined in, excited at the prospect of some real action. "I'm gonna take you in for questioning and beat the crap oughta ya till ya tell me where the rest of your flunkies are hiding!!"     Gaia simply turned, and started to walk away.     "Wait, Father!!" Ellis cried out.     "Remember..." he said as he was leaving, "only destruction awaits. Be prepared for the next battle."     And with that, he was gone.

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	11. Chapter Ten: Rivals

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER TEN: Rivals**   
  
**Translations:**     _niisan_ - informal version of oniisan; elder brother     _iie_ - no     _doshite_ - why     _daijobu_ - are you all right     _ganbatte_ - good luck     _konban wa_ - good evening

  


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    "I don't believe it. I can't believe it," Eiji repeated to himself, over and over again. "My niisan would never do such a thing, never..."     Eiji was kneeling on the floor, shaking his head and muttering to himself in disbelief at Gaia's parting statement.     _"Your brother works for us now. If you know what's wise, you will leave now. We are getting angry. And soon your time will run out. Even you, Eiji Shinjo, cannot defeat your brother. The end is coming. Only destruction awaits."_     "Doshite...?"     "Then maybe we didn't know him as well as we thought," Kayin snapped, a hint of anger showing in his voice. "Your brother always looked like he was capable of anything."     "But he wouldn't turn against me!!" Eiji yelled back in frustration. "He would never turn evil!! And I know it!" He bit his lower lip. "Maybe Gaia is wrong. Maybe niisan is just tricking them, or something..."     "Eiji-kun..." Ellis started softly. She moved towards him, but Kayin got in front of her, nearly knocking her small frame over in the process.     "So he's now a bloody turncoat. What good is denying the truth going to do?" Kayin's eyes narrowed into cold aqua-coloured slits. "Gaia said we were looking for the same person. That means that Sho was the one who--"     That was too much for Eiji to handle at the moment.     He stood up and got right in Kayin's face, red eyes flaming angrily. "What the _hell_ are you saying?? That my niisan killed your father?? That my niisan is a _murderer??_"     "That's what Gaia said, isn't it?" Kayin snarled back in frustration. "Eiji, you can be so goddamn thick! Open your eyes, you daft fool! Your brother's no saint, and he's not the same guy we USED to know!!"     Eiji's eyes were burning, before he answered back quietly, in a low voice, "Kayin, how dare you. How dare you actually think that my niisan murdered your father. After everything he did for us..."     "Do think this is easy for me? Huh?? _Do you???_" Kayin was raging now. "To find that now, after all these years of biding my time and waiting for the right time to take vengeance, that my father's killer is an old friend?"     "...And how do you think this is for me, to find that after taking a part of my life to search for my brother, that he isn't the same anymore...?" Eiji yelled back.     The two just glared at each other for a minute, both seething at each other and themselves. This staredown would have continued if Sofia hadn't parted them.     "All right, you two, that is enough," she said firmly, trading glances between both Eiji and Kayin.     "Yep, there's more important things to worry about now," Tracy added, stepping up to them. Ellis nodded in agreement.     Eiji and Kayin looked at the three girls, one at a time, expressions never changing nor faltering. The silence was broken when Kayin turned away from Eiji, and said his answer to that in a low, gutteral tone:     "Not to me there isn't. The end, indeed. I'm going to find that murdering bastard. And when I do, it's not going to be a pretty sight."     Kayin started to walk off, leaving the others staring after him in surprise. It took Eiji a moment to regain his senses, but when he did, he ran up to Kayin, blood boiling, spun him around, and grabbed the collar of his jacket. Even though Eiji was indeed shorter, a year younger and less built than Kayin, he nearly managed to lift him right off the ground. "You aren't going anywhere, damn you," Eiji growled, "if you intend to hurt my brother."     Kayin twisted out of the hold, and, in the process, threw Eiji to the ground. Hard. The wind was knocked out of him for a split-second, but before Eiji could even move, there was the tip of a broadsword-blade at his throat. Kayin was staring down at him, icy blue-green eyes glittering coldly.     "Go to hell."     Kayin turned again, resheathed Excalibur, and continued to disappear into the dense forest surrounding the battle arena. Eiji struggled to his feet, glaring after Kayin. He started to yell a nasty parting obscenity at Kayin, but stopped at the last minute. There would be no answer. Ellis ran up to Eiji, who stood stiffened at the edge of the arena in anger.     "Eiji-kun, are you...daijobu?"     Eiji was silent, before answering, "Not for long. I'm going after him."     Ellis gave him her best dark look. "How do you know where Kayin went? And, for that matter, our two best fighters being maimed by each other is not a good thing."     "El's right," said Tracy. "Believe me, you two looked like you were going to rip each other's throats out back there."     "It is sundown," Sofia added quietly. "and it is the Himitsu's next move. I do not think they are going to take the loss of one of their best fighters well. You and Kayin will be obvious targets."     Eiji did not respond to any of these comments, nor did he look at any of them. "Kayin can be an overconfident stubborn jackass who won't take no for an answer, but..." Eiji lowered his gaze. "He's no match for my niisan. And Kayin's not invincible. None of us are. Someone needs to show him that before he gets himself killed. I'm going."     And with that, Eiji took off in the direction that Kayin went, with Ellis, Sofia, and Tracy doing nothing but watching. Tracy started after him, but Sofia placed a firm hand on her shoulder.     "This is between them. Leave them be...for now."     Tracy looked at Sofia, then nodded. "That boy is either very brave or very foolish." Yet she grinned approvingly. "But that's the true sign of a hero."     Ellis' sparkling blue eyes glazed over with tears, and she clasped her hands in front of her. "Eiji-kun...ganbatte. Come back to me...to us...alive."

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    Eiji's hurried footsteps and quiet breathing were the only sounds that could be heard in the dark forest covered with draped, overhanging branches, laden with leaves all shades of green. Eiji shivered, pulled the collar of his battle kimono tighter around his neck, and kept moving. He didn't like this place, and something just wasn't right. This forest goes on for a while, Eiji thought. Who knows where Kayin is by now? And I'm definitely not giving him the satisfaction of calling his name. Eiji realized quickly that this was where Ellis and he had been attacked a few days earlier.     _That did start everything. That dream-girl was right. This is more than any of us ever expected from a "simple" tournament. And this hell isn't even over yet.     This is destiny. This is my destiny. And am I the hero now? Or just a fool who falling for an obvious trap?
_     Eiji looked up. The sun was lowering, the sky a blaze of bright purples and oranges, the moon already slowing rising into the darkening navy-blue atmosphere. _Night's falling so fast. And the Himitsu Kessha's going to make its next move. If Kayin does find my brother, then--_     A noise came from the brush. Jolting him out of his thoughts, Eiji grabbed the Byakko no Tachi from his back and started to unsheath it quickly. He stopped when he saw a bird take flight from the bush, in a rush of wings and leaves. Eiji watched it lazily spiral up, towards the patches of darkened sky above, and for a moment, turned a blind eye.     That was a bad move on his part.     There were footsteps behind him. Approaching cautiously, but carefully.     Eiji grimaced. _Well, Kayin-chan, I'm not in the mood for any more arguing. We are still friends, and I don't care if you hate me until your dying day. I'm getting this through your thick skull. Here goes..._ And he turned around, expecting to see Kayin Amoh, in his red and black jacket, long blond hair and cold eyes.     Eiji was not facing his best friend.     And, at the same moment, his search came abruptly to an end.     He had found who was looking for.     He stood in front of Eiji, silently, not moving, save for quiet, rhythmic breathing. In the faint light of the rising moon, Eiji could see that he was wearing a battle kimono, similar to his own, only red with a purple silk shawl draped over the top, and similar pants. The tall boots that he wore, highlighted with many dark straps, seemed worn and dusty but not so that they were ineffective. At his side was a thin, rather lightweight-looking sword-sheath, no doubt that of a samurai katana. Taller, but not by much, just enough so that Eiji had to slightly look up to do so. Eiji did not even have to look at his confronter's face or into his eyes, because he knew what he would see -- mirror images of his own, dark auburn-brown hair and deep red eyes. And yet older, much older, not so much of age, but because they had seen much more than Eiji's young eyes had or ever will. A light breeze, as if on impulse, caused the trees to sway lightly, as well as ruffling the tails of Eiji's white headband and a few stray stands of the man's long hair. But even without the dim whitish light of the moon, Eiji would have known who he was. His knees suddenly felt weak, and his heartbeats increased by a rapid rate. Eiji would have said something, but he wasn't sure he trusted his speaking skills at this moment. His confronter was the first one to break the heavy silence between them.     "Konban wa, little brother. It's...been a while."

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	12. Chapter Eleven: Sho

  


**- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -**

_a Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh_

  
**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Sho**   
  
**Translations:**     _niisan_ - elder brother     _iie_ - no     _-chan_ - honourific used for relations, children, or close friends     _-sama_ - honourific used for formality and higher people (respected people, gods etc.)     _doshita no?_ - what's wrong?     _nan de?_ - why?     _baka_ - fool     _naratte imasu_ - you're learning     _shoubu_ - fight     _iya_ - no (used more as an interjection)     _sensei_ - teacher; used by students     _ne_ - used at end of phrases to ask for agreement to the statement made     _yosha_ - all right     _wakaranai_ - I don't understand     _soredemo_ - but still     _sayonara_ - good-bye     _demo_ - but     _daijobu yo_ - don't worry     _sou ne_ - you're right

  


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    Eiji wasn't sure what he did just then. He later recalled that it was maybe a stupid laugh. Whatever the case, Eiji knew he had completely forgot (as he had a habit of doing) what Gaia had told him earlier.     "N-niisan!!" he exclaimed happily. "This is great! I haven't seen you for so long!"     Sho cast his eyes down to the ground, then looked back up, scarlet eyes dimmed and stolen of...something. "Iie...Eiji..."     "I'm so glad to see you! What are you doing in these parts? I've gone all over the world looking for you, niisan!"     Sho said nothing. He continued to watch Eiji with a look that was a mix of sorrow, guilt, pity, and...something else. Something, perhaps, that Eiji couldn't see. Or understand...     Eiji noticed this. "Doshita no, niisan? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"     Their eyes met for a split second, red against red. Sho sighed, his other, slightly weaker facade quickly slipping away, replaced with a look of cold stone. "Eiji, you were always so naïve. Too much for your own good. And I see that hasn't changed." He glanced at his little brother, his eyes seemingly glowing red in the dark. "Have you forgotten Gaia-sama's warning already?"     Eiji was confused. "What do you mean? I--"     Then he remembered.     _"Your brother works for us now. If you know what's wise, you will leave now. We are getting angry. And soon your time will run out. Even you, Eiji Shinjo, cannot defeat your brother. The end is coming. Only destruction awaits."_     His mouth dropped open slightly, and he stared at his elder brother disbelievingly. "Niisan, nan de...?"     "I have nothing more to say to you, Eiji." In one quiet, fluid motion, a shining silver samurai katana was unsheathed. And a fighting stance was taken up, one taught to Eiji himself quite a many years ago. "I will make this fast and clean."     "Niisan, what the--" Eiji didn't have time to finish his sentence. Sho held his sword tightly and slashed down at his brother. Fortunately, even though it was very unexpected, Eiji was able to roll out of the way in time. "What the hell are you doing, niisan? Why did you join them? Why turn against me? Against us?? _Why??_"     Sho didn't answer, but continued his attempts to strike his little brother. He slashed twice, both attacks narrowly avoided, followed up by a roundhouse kick that smashed Eiji in the face. Eiji hit the ground hard, blood dripping from his nose. He gazed up at his brother, his hero, his mentor...who was now seemingly trying to kill him. Sho glared down at him, face tight.     "Fight me, baka. Get out our family's sword and fight me."     "I won't!"     "Fine."     Sho's assault resumed with that word. He kicked Eiji while he was on the ground, causing the younger of the Shinjos to double up in pain. The next thing Eiji felt was the metal of a katana blade biting into his side. Drops of his blood stained the ground, while his mind was a maelstrom of physical and mental pain. Eiji staggered to his feet slowly to meet his brother's gaze. Sho's eyes were cold. Eiji's eyes was wounded. "Why do this to me, niisan? Why, to me? I'm your brother, dammit!"     "Do you think I don't know that?" Sho spat angrily. "Look, Eiji, this is something I have to do. I'm sorry, forgive me, and all the rest of that crap. I have my orders."     "From who??" Eiji snarled in distinct frustration. "Why would you follow an order to kill your own brother?"     Sho raised his sword. "Was that the order I received? How are you so sure of what I'm thinking? Of what I'm doing? You are too quick in your judgements, Eiji. That was always a problem you had."     Eiji stood there quietly, contemplating this. _Just what the hell does he mean by that...?_     He was jerked out of his thoughts, however, when Sho held his katana high above his head, and it started sparking with ki. In one quick motion, Sho brought down the sword, the ki forming in the shape of a large ball. But instead of slashing once like Eiji did, he slashed twice, down and then sideways. And two fireballs formed, each the same size and holding a magnitude of power. "Rekkuzan!!"     Eiji yelped, and quickly dodged one then rolled away from the other. He stood up shakily and glared. "All right, niisan...there's no choice left for me now..." With that, Eiji unsheathed the Byakko no Tachi and brought it up in his fighting stance, a mirror image of his brother's. Eiji stood, waiting for Sho to attack. There was a still moment of silence, broken when Sho observed Eiji's change of heart with a small smile.     "Naratte imasu, Eiji. I see my teachings were not a waste after all."     "Throwing your life away on the Himitsu Kessha was a waste, niisan! You've dishonoured our name and you're going to pay for it!!"     "Shoubu, Eiji. Now the real battle begins."     The two brothers charged at each other, swords clashing wildly, sparks flying, their yells breaking the silence of the forest. Eiji attempted to perform a Hishouzan, but Sho saw it coming and blocked deftly, then took Eiji out while he was in the air with a Scottish Moon. Eiji fell to the ground, gripping his sword tightly. Sho landed on his feet with ease. Eiji lay there for a second, waiting for his older brother to do something. When Sho finally did, it was a swift kick in Eiji's side and an sharp instruction in a gutteral tone.     "Get up. The fight's not over yet."     Eiji slowly did as he was told, fire burning in his red eyes. Despite his injuries, he dashed towards Sho quickly, feet barely touching the ground. When he was in close proximity, Eiji jumped into the air steathily, then shot downwards in a fiery Ryuseikyaku that he put much of his power into. Sho only stood there, watching, and as soon as Eiji was close enough, he executed a fast Hishouzan, knocking Eiji out of the air and to the ground a second time. Eiji struggled to his knees, trying to get up, but failed. He fell back to the terrain again with a small yell, blood freely running from his wounds. Sho walked towards his younger brother's form, sword at his side. Eiji shakily raised his, ready to defend himself. Sho, however, stopped right in front of him.     "Eiji, I am very disappointed. That was not much of a fight you put up. I suppose the end shall come now." He smirked. "The Burning Yamato Soul. Let's see how brightly you burn once your flame goes out."     Sho lifted his sword, preparing to strike the final blow.     Eiji winced, preparing for the end. The end at his brother's hand.     _Iya..._     But just then, fate, in its infinite power and wisdom, decided to intrude.     Well, if it wasn't fate, it sure was someone. A very _angry_ someone.     "SHOULDER CRRRRRUUUUUUSSSSSHHH!!!!!"     Sho yelled in pain and staggered forward a few feet as the dark forest was lit up by yellow sparks, and a massive, powerful split kick hit him in the back, causing him to nearly stumble to his knees. He recovered quickly and whirled around angrily. Eiji's head turned. And they both saw that someone had decided to join in the battle.     "Heh. Surprised to see me, _sensei?_ The feeling's mutual. This one's gonna be for my father."     Kayin Amoh, in his red shoulder-padded jacket, long reddish-blond hair and aqua-green eyes that appeared to be colder than ever, stood leaning against a tree, a slight sneer on his face. He walked towards the two siblings and unsheathed Excalibur. Sho was not impressed in the least.     "So, Kayin, you've come to fight me as well. This large a reunion was not expected."     Kayin walked over to Eiji calmly and helped him to his feet. Once they were at eye level, Kayin grinned. "All's forgiven, ne, Eiji-chan? I say we kick some ass."     Eiji smiled weakly, pleased with this turn of events. "Yosha. Let's do it."     "I was hoping you'd say that. Now..." Kayin and Eiji took up their stances together,side by side, identical, something that had not been done since their early days of training. "As the song goes, let's get ready to rumble."     Sho merely watched the two, still, unmoving. Eiji finally had to say something.     "So, what's the matter, niisan? We're not backing out of this..."     "...And neither are you," Kayin finished mockingly.     Sho glared at his two students, then sighed and took up his stance. "Very well. Let's get on with it."     Still seething with quiet rage, Kayin wasted no time in opening up the fight. He dashed towards Sho and attempted a high roundhouse followed by a low sweep. Sho calmly blocked the kick and swept him instead. Kayin fell to the ground, but Eiji took to the air above him and tried a jump-in thrusting slash. Sho stepped out of the way. Eiji landed, whirled around, and slid towards his brother, feet against the ground. "Shugekidan!!"     "Not so easy, Eiji!" Sho countered with the same attack, and they both got knocked backwards.     Meanwhile, Kayin was behind Sho, charging his ki into Excalibur. Kayin raised his sword and sliced it down with a yell of "Sonic Slash!!", igniting a blast of yellow fire. Sho lifted his sword, and shot one Rekkuzan towards Kayin, which easily burned through the Sonic Slash and hit him in the chest, then he turned and tossed the other one at Eiji, who managed to block it just in time. Eiji ran back into the fight, roaring "Mukurowari!!", jumping a short distance forward off the ground, performing a quick somersault and neatly slicing his sword down in an overhead slash. Sho, however, flipped backwards, and started to gather massive waves of purple energy into his sword. Kayin ran up to meet Eiji.     "What the hell is he doing? We never learned that!"     "Goddammit," Eiji whispered. "Not that...niisan..."     Sho hefted his sword, glowing with ki, above his head, and cut downwards, bringing forth a giant sparking fireball, bigger than both Eiji and Kayin. Eiji's eyes flew open.     "Kayin-chan, block it!!!"     The two held their swords out in front of them, partially dissapating the enormous blast of energy, but it was only a short time before they were exploded off their feet and to the ground. Due to his previous injuries, Eiji did not get up as fast as Kayin, who sprung to his feet in a split second, and with a yell of pure emotion and anger, shot towards Sho, surrounded by blue sparks.     "Hell's GATE!!!"     Sho held his sword out, ready to block, until Kayin threw out a feint. Sho blocked quickly, but then was left open. Kayin took the opportunity and moved in. The air around the two exploded in blue flame and sparks, as Kayin lifted Sho higher and higher into the air with a volley of aerial roundhouse kicks. They plummeted back down to the earth, Sho crashing to the ground but quickly springing back up again, holding his side with a streak of blood running down his face, Kayin landing gracefully on his feet with a snarl.     "That was for my father. And this is from me!!!" Kayin's body blurred into a mass of rainbow-coloured axe kicks, as he performed his spectacular special move, the Rainbow Splash. It almost hit, but Sho rolled out of the way deftly, and nailed Kayin in the back with a Hishouzan that sent his student flying to the ground in pain. Sho stood up, regarding his Scottish student with distaste.     "Don't get too overconfident, Kayin-chan. That will get you punished quite severely. I believe I tried to teach you that in particular, ne?"     It was only then that Sho remembered Eiji, who he currently had his back to.     And it was a little too late.     "ENJIN-SHURAHA!!"     Sho turned around in time to see his little brother lift his sword high, lean back, then snap forward and release two elaborate balls of fire, one of which blasted him in the face, the other knocking him down. Eiji quickly ran over to Kayin and helped him up, both of them scratched and bleeding. The two observed their sensei's still form.     "I think you got him, Eiji-chan," Kayin said, glancing at his friend with a look of approval. "I never learned that move either. Why do you two get all the fireballs?"     Eiji grinned. "But I never learned your fancy Shoulder Crush-thing." He looked over at his older brother. He hesistated a moment, balancing out in his mind as to what he should do. His eyes clouded over with pain, as he was flooded with memories that were forever locked in his young mind, flashbacks of childhood days alone with his brother, training under his tutelage, their parent's death...and what Sho had said to him soon after.     _"Don't worry, Eiji. As long as we have each other, everything will be all right."_     _God, niisan,_ Eiji thought, _why did you have to go and do this?_ He finally just shrugged, and motioned to his friend. "Come on, Kayin-chan. Looks like this battle is over."     The two turned and started to walk away, but then...     "_Not yet._"     "Huh?"     "What?"     Eiji and Kayin whipped around to see Sho shakily getting up. He was just as beat-up as they were, if not more. Sho stood to his full height of close to six feet, looking down on his two students with a look of calm anger, if there was such a thing.     "Now, you two have had your fun. I think I will show you a trick that you never learned."     With that, Sho once more began to gather sparkling ki into his sword. His tall form blurred, and it moved towards the shocked Eiji and Kayin. Before they could react, Sho was in front of them, yelling "EMMA-RESSHUSAI!!" and started to perform a multiple of super-powered grounded Hishouzans, his blade whirling and slicing both Eiji and Kayin massively. Finally, the assault ended when Sho pooled his ki and exploded into the air in one last Hishouzan, sending Eiji and Kayin backwards off their feet and crashing into the ground. Sho observed his two students, lying broken and semi-concious on the ground. He smiled.     "I wouldn't have killed you two anyway. I did have my orders, but they should know that I follow no one."     Sho turned, but he heard the familiar voice behind him.     "W-what...do...you mean?"     Sho looked over his shoulder, then turned around in almost disbelief. Eiji was shakily getting to his feet, crimson blood trickling down his face and arms from the various and large cuts all over his body. "N-niisan...nan...de?"     His brother smiled again, but more sadly this time. "I wouldn't have killed you. Or Kayin-chan. That was only about half of my power that I used against you. Perhaps even less than that. You two will survive. And hopefully come out better because of your defeat here today." Sho looked up at the moon, which hung in the sky like a glowing orb. "I just wish I could tell you two..."     "Tell us what?" Kayin was getting off the ground too, with Eiji's help.     Sho glanced downwards, sighed, and looked back at his students. "I wish I could tell you two that I'm sorry, and it's not how it seems. It never is. Not here. Not in the Toshindaibukai."     Eiji stepped forward a few paces and quietly said, "Niisan...wakaranai..."     But Sho simply turned his back to him, and answered, "I know you don't, Eiji. You won't for a long time to come. And Kayin..." Kayin looked up in surprise. "You won't understand why I had to execute your father. But I did, and the past cannot be changed. Nor can the future be seen." He paused, as if trying to decide whether to say something else. "However, beware. This has started everything, as Cupido-kun warned you, Eiji. It was under my order that she do so. Soredemo, she is coming now. I know she will. But even after you destroy her, as I have faith you two will, since I see that you have become much stronger and skilled, you, Eiji, and you, Kayin, and the other Toshin fighters will one day end up walking into ruin. And they will be waiting for you. And then it will be up to you to save them all...my students. Sayonara. But only for now."     With that, Sho disappeared completely into the blackness, without a trace. Kayin's eyes widened, and Eiji gasped in surprise. Eiji took another couple steps forward, to the spot where his brother had just stood, and bit his lower lip. It didn't help. A single tear rolled down his blood-stained cheek.     "Niisan...why did it have to be this way?" Eiji looked up, eyes glistening, into the starry night sky. "I...I tried to be like you. I really did...but I'm not, and I--I can't be. I don't understand why you did this...demo...demo, daijobu yo. I forgive you...niisan."     "Eiji-chan." Kayin walked up behind his best friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "Ya know, one thing I've learned about life is that there's too many questions and not enough answers. But they usually get figured out in time."     Eiji looked back at his best friend and greatest rival, who he knew had had more that his fair share of bad luck in life. "Sou ne, Kayin-chan. It can wait."     Kayin smiled approvingly, and turned back towards the path where they had come from. "Come on. Let's go back and find the girls. Your girlfriend is probably worried about you."     Eiji grinned weakly and punched Kayin. "Shut up."     The two laughed and started off, but then, something caused them to stop.     A dark shadow was cast across the ground in front of them. Eiji and Kayin looked up.     There was a silhouette in front of the moon.     A _winged_ silhouette.

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	13. Chapter Twelve: Destiny

BR  
CENTER  
BU- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -/U/BP  
Ia Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh/I  
P  
BR  
BCHAPTER TWELVE: Destiny/B  
/CENTER  
BR  
BR  
BTranslations:/B  
DDIyokatta ne/I - I'm glad  
DDIminna/I - everyone  
DDIarigatou/I - thank you  
DDImakenai mo/I - I'll never give up, I won't lose, etc.P  
BR  
CENTER  
***********P  
/CENTER  
BR  
DD"All right then, just what the Ihell/I are we supposed to do about it??" Tracy snapped. "Those two ain't back yet. They've been gone for way too long as is."  
DD"I agree, something's wrong here," Ellis added worredly. "Eiji-kun would have been back by now."   
DDSofia shook her head firmly. "We cannot go after them. It is their fight, and we have absolutely no idea where Eiji & Kayin are by now."  
DD"Still..." growled Tracy. "I wanna see some ACTION!! I want to go out there and kick some Himitsu ass!"  
DDEllis turned away. "But there's nothing we can do...isn't there."  
DD"You would struggle against your fate, then. It does make sense."  
DDThe three girls whipped around to see another woman standing slightly behind them. Clad in a black-and-red bodysuit with a deep maroon scarf wrapped around her neck, short purple hair, pale white skin and ruby lips. Her blood-red eyes were as piercing and sharp as the halberd she was carrying. The woman walked towards them slowly, and the trio tensed, grabbing their respective weapons. Sofia held her whip out in front of her in a defensive pose and said in a threatening tone, "If you are our enemy, do not come any closer. I am warning you."  
DDThe mystery woman shook her head. "I am an enemy of the Himitsu Kessha. Therefore we are not. I am the turner of the wheel of fate. I am Cupido."  
DD"Wheel of fate?" Tracy questioned, confused. "Isn't that a game show...?"  
DDSofia sighed and shook her head in pity. "That is Wheel of Fortune, you idiot."  
DD"Hey, who're ya callin' an idiot?" Tracy snapped back. Sofia merely gave her a cold look in return. As the two started arguing, Ellis had enough sense to ask, "Cupido? Why were you not in the tournament?"  
DD"It is...a long story. And I'm afraid your friends Eiji Shinjo & Kayin Amoh are too tied up in it."  
DDTracy, deciding that this was more interesting, waved one of her tonfas menacingly. "Oh yeah, girl? Then what do you know about it?"  
DD"I cannot say, for even I do not know. But it is a safe bet that they are in danger. I will show you where to go."  
DDSofia glared at Cupido. "Fine. But do not try anything. You have not fully gained my trust, and I can see clearly that you are not telling us the whole story."  
DD"No. That I am not. It doesn't matter now. What does matter is the lives of your two friends, which may be extinguished very soon, unless we can work together. For both Eiji & Kayin are extremely important to the fate of this world. And their lives are in dangerous jeopardy."  
DD"Isn't that a game show too?" murmured Tracy, confused again. Sofia shook her head. "Hopeless."   
DD"Cupido, I don't understand..." Ellis said quietly. "...but I couldn't bear the thought of Eiji-kun being killed. I'd rather die."  
DD"Right!" agreed Tracy. "I'll surely get a good fight now!"  
DDSofia sighed. "If Eiji and Kayin are in danger, then I would do anything to help. I suppose we must leave now."  
DDCupido nodded. "That would be wise." She motioned towards one path leading into the trees. "Now, go straight down that way, into the forest. They should both be there."  
DDObediently, the three girls followed Cupido's directions into the darkened heart of the forest, and towards their destiny. Cupido, however, stayed behind, watching them with a certain curiousity. IStruggling against fate.../I she mused. IIt could be the end of them, or the end of this world. They have no idea how important they are. No idea at all./I Cupido sighed, but with a hint of a faint smile. IMay luck be with you all./IP  
CENTER  
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/CENTER  
DD"What the hell is that??"  
DDThat was, of course, Kayin.  
DDThere was a dark, mysterious figure across the moon. A figure with wings. Eiji tensed,  
reaching for his sword-sheath. "That must be who niisan was warning us about!"  
DDAs he said that, the winged silhouette slowly began to descend from the sky. It floated  
down, towards the ground, until it hovered in the air right in front of the battered Eiji and Kayin.   
The two quickly grabbed their swords, ready for what was looking to be another battle.   
DDThe shadow was a young woman, with light blond hair and pale green eyes. The moon  
was gleaming off of the white armour that adorned her body; her wings were outstretched and  
feathered with gossamer white. In one hand she held a glowing golden bow, and the look on her  
face was of serene cruelness, if there was even such a thing. She regarded Eiji and Kayin smugly.  
DD"Well," she spoke, her cold, monotone voice echoeing through the recesses of the forest.   
"It appears you two have lived up to my expectations."  
DD"Who are you?" yelled Eiji.   
DD"Yeah, and what do you want with us?" Kayin added, his voice rising.  
DD"You foolish boys," the woman said mockingly. "I am known as, simply, Uranus. I am the  
leader of the Himitsu Kessha, the organization that runs the Toshindaibukai tournaments. And I  
must say that you two, Eiji Shinjo and Kayin Amoh, are remarkable fighters. In fact, I have a  
proposition to make to you two. You will join our organization and fight for us."  
DD"And what if we say no?" Eiji asked curiously.  
DDUranus shook her head. "I'm afraid I neglected to mention that 'No' isn't an option.   
You will come or die by my hand." She smirked slightly. "And may I remind you two that in  
your already weakened state, it may not take much to kill you."   
DDKayin and Eiji exchanged glances. As much as they hated to admit it, she was right. Their  
power was almost all gone, and they weren't sure how much longer they could go. But still,  
there was no other choice. Eiji shrugged, and waved his sword at Uranus. "We'll try."  
DD"Right," Kayin added in agreement. "It's better to die than to be enslaved." He  
pulled out Excalibur and grinned. "So, come on, hell angel. Let's see what ya got."  
DDUranus snickered. "If you do insist." Without warning, she shot forwards, quicker than lightning, fire enveloping her wings. "FIREHAWK!!"  
DDThe attack caught Eiji and Kayin offguard, and they both were nailed with the powerful double blow. Uranus landed, grabbed her bow and spun around, then fired two glowing energy arrows. "Eagle Rage!!"   
DDKayin managed to jump out of the way, but Eiji wasn't fast enough due to his more serious injuries and was hit. Kayin dashed in to open up a combo, but Uranus simply shot upwards into the air calling "Swany Swap!", one of her wing-tips catching Kayin under the chin and knocking him backwards towards Eiji. Uranus landed deftly on her feet, a cruel laugh escaping her lips.   
DD"Is that all you've got?" she asked mockingly. "It appears that I have overestimated your abilities." She laughed louder. "This world will soon be mine to command!"   
DDThen she was interrupted.  
DD"We beg to differ."  
DD"What?" Uranus turned away from the battered Eiji & Kayin just in time to see Sofia, Ellis, and Tracy bearing down on her with a vengeance.  
DD"Thunder Ring!"  
DD"Screw Dancing!"  
DD"Honeymoon!"  
DDUranus was hit backwards from the equally powerful aerial attacks, which caused her to go flying to the ground. The girls landed and quickly ran to help Eiji & Kayin.  
DD"Eiji-kun! Eiji-kun!" Ellis was saying desperately, kneeling beside Eiji's bruised body. "Don't you dare leave me! Eiji-kun!!"  
DDEiji coughed for a second, then wearily opened one eye, smiling. "Don't worry...Ellis-chan...you're still stuck with me...for a while yet."  
DD"Eiji-kuuuuuun!!" Ellis sobbed, hugging him. "You're all right! Thank God you're all right!!"  
DD"What, nothing for your ol' mate Kayin?" said a voice behind her. Kayin was standing too, with help from Tracy and Sofia. He was grinning, despite his injuries. "S'pose that means you like Eiji better than me then."   
DD"Oh, Kayin!" Ellis cried. "Yokatta ne! I'm so glad!"  
DDTracy made an annoyed noise. "But we've got bigger probs to deal with now. None of us are gonna be all right if we don't finish off that angel-girl." She motioned to Uranus, who was just starting to get up.  
DDEiji nodded, and started to get up himself. "I'm going to do it."  
DD"No, Eiji-kun!" Ellis protested. "You'll be killed if you go on much longer!"  
DD"Eiji's right, Ellis," Kayin interjected. "It's gonna take all of us to defeat her. Even if we have to die ourselves."  
DD"But..." Ellis started.   
DD"No," Eiji said. "You three can't take Uranus on alone."   
DDSofia nodded briskly. "Then let us get to it." She struck a fighting pose. Tracy followed, along with Eiji, Kayin, and eventually Ellis. Eiji then said in a defiant tone, "You're not winning this one, Uranus. You'll never have our world."  
DD"Is that so?" Uranus answered snidly, floating off the ground towards them. "We'll just have to see about that, Eiji Shinjo. All of you will die."  
DD"Don't bet on it!" roared Tracy, leaping in and performing a quick aerial Jackpot, blades of knives protruding from her boots. The attack hit Uranus, but she managed to take Tracy out in the air with a Swany Swap. Sofia lept over Tracy's falling body, and attempted a corkscrew kick to Uranus's face with a loud cry. Uranus simply whacked her away with one of her wings, then shot Sofia with an arrow before she hit the ground. Kayin tried rolling inwards and attacking from the left side, but Uranus saw this and executed a quick footslide followed up by a wing slash, causing Kayin to lose his momentum and fall over backwards. Eiji and Ellis took to the air at the same time, Eiji yelling "Ryuseikyaku!!", Ellis calling "Screw Dancing!!". Uranus flipped backwards and fired two arrows diagonally into the air, striking both Eiji and Ellis at the same time. They, too, fell to the ground with Tracy, Sofia, and Kayin. Uranus stood up, laughing.  
DD"You see?" she mocked. "There is no way you can defy the Himitsu Kessha and live! Now, to finish you all off once and for all!"   
DDWith that, Uranus folded her wings in front of her, and began gathering her ki into them, waves of greenish energy being absorbed by her wings.   
DD"This isn't good," muttered Kayin.   
DD"PHEONIX!!" Uranus spread her wings out to her sides in one rapid movement, causing several pulsing bird-shaped fireballs to shoot out of her wings and towards the downed fighters. But just then, a sixth fighter decided to join.  
DDI"AEGIS WALL!!"/I   
DDThe five grimaced, bracing themselves for the fire to hit them, but the blows didn't come. They opened their eyes to see themselves surrounded by a shining gold force field. The Pheonix attack was reflected off the wall, and exploded into Uranus's face, causing her to scream in pain. She quickly recovered, however, and snarled in annoyance at the tall figure who stood between her and the Toshin fighters.   
DD"You! Cupido! I will have your life for this treachery!"  
DDCupido smirked. "My immortal powers are stronger than yours--" She smiled slightly. "IUranusu-sama./I"  
DD"It's you," Eiji whispered. "The dream-girl. You are on our side, then."  
DDBefore Cupido could answer, Uranus shook an armoured fist at her. "You will pay for this! You and Sho both!"  
DD"I think not, Uranus." Cupido motioned to the fighters. "These warriors will spell the end of you and your organization. I have foreseen it, Uranus. And the future does not lie." She smiled, and it was both fire and ice. "You will die today. My treachery will never be known. We will eventually destroy your organization."  
DD"That will never be so!!" Uranus lunged at Cupido, wings aflame, but Cupido stopped her cold by smashing her halberd blade across Uranus's face, raking blood and knocking Uranus back a few feet. And then, Cupido vanished completely. However, the five fighters could hear some of her whisperings caught on the air.P  
DDIThe key to everything lies with you. Everything could change in an instant, but only if you make it so. In this place where the weapon is a way of life, you five are the fated ones who will shape its future here, in the arena, through your skills and courage. I have seen it and know it to be true. Good luck, and above all else, always remain allies. I'll always be watching.P/I  
DD"'We will shape the future'?" Tracy muttered questioningly. "What the hell's meant by that?"   
DDEiji got up off of the ground slowly, despite his injuries, flame burning once more in his eyes. "It Iis/I all up to us. Don't you see, minna? Only we can defeat Uranus. And that's what we have to do."   
DDEncouraged by Eiji's words, Kayin too rose of the ground, followed by Tracy, Sofia, and Ellis. Ellis nodded in agreement. "That's right. We'll never give up, Uranus. You should know that."  
DD"Not until our world is safe from your evil plans. Both we and the rest of the fighters are not your toys," Sofia finished.  
DD"You may turn everything against us, but good will always win," Kayin said.  
DDAnd Tracy, good old violent-obsessive that she was, summed up all their feelings in one sentence.   
DD"We are gonna kick yo' ass to heaven, hell, and back, ya bitch!!"   
DDUranus screamed in fury at them. "Try to stop me!" She took to the air gracefully and hovered above them before letting another ki-arrow fly loose, but the group managed to dodge this one. As Uranus was coming down from the air, slowed by her wings catching the updraft, Kayin turned to Ellis with a cocky grin and suggested, "Hey, Ellis-chan, I think she's askin' for a double uppercut. What'd ya say to it?"  
DDEllis grinned. "Sounds good to me. Soar Wind!"  
DD"Deadly Rays!"  
DDKayin's attack hit Uranus and pushed her back, followed by Ellis, who knocked her back into the air then down again. Uranus flipped up just in time to see Tracy bearing down on her, tonfas raised, as she called "Pale Slider!!", performing a powerful double flip kick that caught Uranus offguard again, the knives and heels of Tracy's boots slashing upwards across her stomach and face. Sofia spun in dizzying circles in her Aurora Revolution, pounding Uranus over and over again. Once she was finished, Sofia sidestepped and let Eiji & Kayin take over, the two both launching their identical fireballs that combined and struck Uranus with twice the power of a single one. However, fueled by her hatred for these two most of all, Uranus ran forwards and smashed Eiji & Kayin in the faces and then their midsections with her wings. The two flew backwards, while Uranus quickly whipped out two arrows and charged them with ki.  
DD"It's been nice knowing you." She pulled the arrows taunt on her bow-string, ready to fire, when suddenly...  
DD"ARC SLASH!!!"  
DDEllis appeared behind Eiji & Kayin, somersaulting through the air and diving straight at Uranus, daggers on fire. The Dirks came in contact with Uranus's chest with such force that it pushed her to the ground. As she started to fall, Ellis flipped over Uranus with ease and landed on her feet behind her. Eiji got up, smiling. "Arigatou, Ellis-chan."  
DD"No problem, Eiji-kun," Ellis grinned, flashing a victory sign. "Makenai mo!"   
DDUranus retreated to her favorite fighting area, the air. She swooped down towards them, but was stopped short by a Chopper Strike, executed deftly by Tracy. Uranus hit the ground but hovered up, then tried to smash them with another Firehawk. The five all either dodged or blocked the attack, but in any case, it didn't hit them. Eiji dashed in and sliced her with a quick Hishouzan, then flipped back out again, the five Toshin fighters now all standing in a line in front of the Himitsu Kessha's weakened and bruised angel of death.   
DD"Now," Eiji hissed to his friends, "Everyone concentrate. Close your eyes and gather your ki. This is the only chance we'll have."  
DDAnd so, Uranus rose angry and humiliated to the not-so-cheerful sight of five fighters, the very five that she had conspired against, Eiji Shinjo, Kayin Amoh, Sofia, Ellis, and Tracy, all with their ki, the fire and power of the soul, flaring off their bodies. Surrounded by different coloured forces, the fluxuating energy causing the wind and trees to blow and swirl around them, the group of fighters were pooling their power in one final attempt to destroy her. One by one, they all opened their eyes, burning with their fighting spirit. Uranus had one thought before her death.  
DDIForgive me, my Duke, for I could never have returned./I   
DDWith equal cries of fury, Eiji and his allies slashed their weapons downwards, causing the huge power and sheer force that they had all collected to erupt out of them, the magnitude and strength of the energy fusing together, five seperate fighting spirit's fire combining to make one.   
DDA scream.  
DDAnd the explosion, to put it mildly, was defeaning.  
DDThe five were thrown backwards, and were forced to shield themselves after they landed on the ground a few meters away. Once the explosion and energy dissapated, there was one sentence floating on the breeze, a whispered final phrase from Cupido.  
DDIIt is done./I  
DDEiji, Kayin, Sofia, Ellis, and Tracy all looked up to see Uranus's now-lifeless body hanging in the air, crackling with the electricity and flame of their power. It was there for a second, then it shimmered and splintered into a number of dancing sparkles of light, which disappeared into the lightening sky of the hopeful and arising new dawn, never to be seen again.P  
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	14. Epilogue: Aftermath

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BU- TOH SHIN DEN: To Challenge Fate -/U/BP  
Ia Battle Arena Toshinden fanfiction by Athena Asamiya and Kasumi Todoh/I  
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BEPILOGUE: Aftermath/B  
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BTranslations:/B  
DDIee/I - yeah  
DDIminna/I - everyone  
DDIyakusokushimasu/I - I promise  
DDIniisan/I - informal version of Ioniisan/I; elder brother  
DDIne/I - used on the end of phrases to ask for agreement to the statement made  
DDIhai/I - yes  
DDIgomenasai/I - I'm sorry [polite]  
DDItsuzuku/I - to be continuedP  
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/CENTER  
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DDThe sun was setting slowly the following day, low and deep in the sky, flaring off solar rays of bright crimson and orange into the atmosphere. On an above hill by the main roads, overlooking the site of the finished Toshindaibukai tournament, with its now-empty dormitories and grand coliseums, five warriors stood. The same people they were when they began at the tournament, but also different somehow. Almost as if they had grown up for a second time, realizing things that they would never had learned any other way than to come here, and face their destinies. It was this and other facts that were keeping them lingering for "a little while longer" before they all parted ways for who knew how long.  
DD"So here we are again," Sofia commented quietly, wearing her black leather jacket and toting only a small black bag. "I cannot believe so much has happened in so little time."  
DDEllis, once more in her street clothes and clutching her suitcase, nodded in apt agreement. "I know. Isn't it hard to believe that this really did happen? We were practically fighting for the sake of the world."  
DD"It was all up to us," muttered Kayin Amoh, watching the sun set. "Mankind's last hope, eh?"  
DD"So's it seemed," Tracy said with a cocky grin. "But hey, at least we got to kick some ass! And we won, right?"  
DD"But did we really win?" mused Eiji Shinjo thoughtfully, carrying his bag and the Hyakko no Tachi, in its sheath. "Is it really over? Who knows? I have a feeling that it's far from over."   
DD"Fighter's instinct, right, Eiji-chan?" poked Kayin. "It was right the first time."   
DDEiji sighed. "Ee...I suppose it was."  
DD"Is it bothering you that much, Eiji-kun?" Ellis questioned, looking up at him. "You think they will be back for us?"  
DD"Maybe someday," Sofia said, nodding. "Even with the death of Uranus, there will soon be a replacement for her in the Himitsu Kessha." She glanced into the sun, shading her eyes. "I doubt we will ever be rid of them now."  
DD"That's destiny for ya though!" Tracy added smartly. "Maybe this was fate, that we'd all come here, meet each other, and fight for our world." Remembering that she had never been a big believer in destiny, Tracy looked away hastily. "`Least that's what I think."  
DD"The red string of destiny..." murmured Eiji, lost in his thoughts again.  
DD"What was that?" Ellis asked.  
DD"It's a old Japanese belief. That all things are tied by the red string of destiny."  
DDSofia smiled. "You never can tell. It could be true. Though we never DID get to fight each other in the elimination rounds...How are we going to know who is the best out of us?"  
DD"We could take each other on right now, but we'd probably end up ripping each other to shreds," Kayin laughed.  
DD"You may be right." Sofia smiled, but then suddenly took on a questioning look and asked, "Eiji, about last night...why did it take you so long to find Kayin?"  
DD"Uh...well..." Eiji said uncomfortably. "You see, the story is..."  
DD"I had gone back to my cabin, and then went out again to see if I could get back to the arena," Kayin jumped in quickly. "Eiji and I practically crashed into each other, then argued for a while. Uranus showed up soon after."  
DD"Um, yeah," Eiji agreed. "That's right."  
DDEllis looked at them suspiciously. "Then why were you all beat up when we found you two, Eiji-kun?"   
DD"You didn't kick each other's asses, did ya?" Tracy interjected.  
DD"No..."  
DDSofia grinned. "I sense a lie here."  
DD"Really, Sofi-san," Eiji answered hastily, "it was nothing. We just had a little fight, that was all."   
DD"All right. If you say so."  
DDHowever, Ellis was not satisfied. She pulled Eiji off to one side and hissed, "Oh no, you don't. You were way more thrashed than either of you could have done to each other. What really happened?"  
DDEiji smiled sadly, and looked over his shoulder at the setting sun. "I guess you could say I found what I was looking for."  
DDEllis's sapphire eyes widened in surprise. "You found your brother??"  
DD"In some ways, I did. In others, I didn't." Eiji shook his head. "I have to accept that I'm not always going to understand my niisan. But I can live with that. We're all different people with different minds."  
DD"I suppose you're right, Eiji-kun," Ellis said knowingly. She glanced up into his eyes. "Is it true what you said to me...that you'll protect me always?"  
DD"Yakusokushimasu, Ellis-chan," Eiji said in a quiet, but kind tone.  
DDEllis didn't answer, but instead looked over to where the other three were watching them intently, guessing that this was more than just a little conversation. Ellis blushed, and Eiji, equally embarrassed, called over to them, "No, no, it's not what you think, minna, uh..."  
DD"Come on, Shinjo," Tracy laughed. "We all know there's something up between you two."   
DDKayin fairly pounced on Eiji. "Want some romance tips from the master?"  
DD"Master of morons, you mean," Sofia said, shaking her head.  
DD"Hey!" snapped Kayin, insulted. "At least I don't look like a hooker!"  
DD"Well," Sofia snidly replied, "at least I do not have to wear kilts."  
DDThe whole group laughed at this, even Kayin himself. "So," Eiji began again. "Where are you all headed now?"  
DD"I'm goin' back to New York to see if I can get a promotion from this," Tracy answered. "Lieutenant, no...Captain Tracy. Sounds good to me!"   
DD"I think I'll return to Scotland," replied Kayin. "There's still some things I have to do. Try to ditch this whole messy business is one. Learning how to forgive and forget is another."  
DD"Back to Russia for me," Sofia said. "I am going to try and find out if the Himitsu Kessha is really finished, and if not, I will see to it that they are. And I will try to make new memories for myself, rather than living in a past that exists no longer."  
DD"I'm going to go back to my gypsy troupe," said Ellis. "There are children there who need me, and I really do love performing. And maybe someday..." She finished with a determined look. "Someday I'll see my father again."  
DD"And I'll start adventuring again," added Eiji. "We're all headed our seperate ways."  
DDIt was only then they all realized how much they would miss one another. Eiji put out his hand, palm down, followed by Kayin, Sofia, Ellis, and Tracy.   
DD"Until we are united when fate brings us together again," Eiji said softly.  
DD"Until then," everyone chorused.  
DDAnd with that, the Toshin fighters parted ways. "Until next time, minna!" called Eiji at last. And with a knowing smile, he quietly added one final thing.   
DD"Until next time...niisan."P   
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DDOn a cliff far above, another figure was watching as the five fighters parted. She smiled gladly, and whispered, almost to herself, "They really did do it. I still can't believe it. Five of the most unlikely heroes ever seen since the dawning of time." Her eyes's focus shifted over to the side. "Don't you think so, Sho-sama?"  
DD"That's the way destiny meant it to be, Cupido-kun," Sho Shinjo replied, coming up from behind her. He cast a knowing glance downwards at the fighters. "They could have only done it if they believed in themselves and their power. That was all there was to it."  
DDCupido nodded. "And our plan worked out well, ne?"   
DD"And it will still work out well," Sho replied. "Don't forget, we're still not finished. The Himitsu is far from over, and even though the Master will not find out of your treachery, we have to keep up our little game." Sho looked at his partner approvingly. "But your interfering against Uranus was a risk."  
DD"I had to do it. Fate would not have continued if they had died."  
DD"And you would know that, Fortuna."  
DD"Please, Sho-sama, I'm calling myself Cupido now. I'm still a goddess, just under a different name."  
DD"I remember that well." Sho turned away from the cliff's edge. "We must go. There could be suspicions."  
DD"Hai." Cupido turned as well and in an instant, teleported out, disappearing into nothingness. However, Sho stayed for a moment after her departure. IGomenasai, Kayin, Eiji.../I he thought sadly. IYour destiny is far from over. Never forget your power, and never forget who you are./I He looked down at the small figure of his little brother, leaving again to search for the continuance of his destiny, and quietly said one phrase. He was smiling.  
DD"Until next time...little brother."P  
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To be continued...BR  
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End file.
